


A Time For Everything

by BettyHT



Series: Annie [6]
Category: Bonanza
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-13
Updated: 2018-11-13
Packaged: 2019-08-23 02:52:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 32,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16610498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BettyHT/pseuds/BettyHT
Summary: Sixth Adam and Annie story. Adam is targeted for revenge and finds himself accused of murder and without a defense. He does his best to uncover the people behind the plot but finally has to seek another solution to keep himself and his family safe.





	A Time For Everything

A Time for Everything

Chapter 1

The spot next to him in bed was cool and there was no warm body snuggled up to his. Early in the morning, Adam awakened and found himself alone in bed which was quite unusual. Annie usually liked to sleep in and he would often stay in bed longer himself enjoying the feeling of her snuggled up to him and sleeping so peacefully. He immediately got up and walked to the end of the hall to see if she was in Andrew's bedroom but found his toddler sleeping peacefully. Relieved that their son was not the cause of her early rising, he began to search for her. He found her in the washroom rinsing out rags and crying. The day before she had found that once again her queasy stomach meant that her flow had arrived and there was no pregnancy. Hoss and Maggie had announced at the previous Sunday's dinner that they were expecting and that the doctor thought it might be twins. In approximately five months, they would know. At one point, Annie had despaired that she would ever have a child, and she and Adam had married thinking that was true. When Andrew arrived though, Annie's attitude had changed. She wanted another child so much. She prayed and hoped, but had been disappointed so far. Adam walked in the room and slid his arms around her. She resisted a little at first but gave in and slumped into his embrace.

"Am I losing my touch? That's not much of a hug back."

His gentle words brought forth more tears. She only had her flow once or twice a year, and each time she was very emotional and often nauseated. So it had been this time and about six months earlier. Adam had found that he waited with as much anticipation as Annie did when she first started feeling queasy, but he did not have the overwhelming sadness when it was not a pregnancy. Adam had thought he might never have a child and to have one as wonderful as Andrew had made him content in many ways. He didn't know how to convey that to Annie who felt that somehow she was failing as a wife for not being able to produce another child.

"Sweetheart, we have a wonderful son. We are so happy with each other. We have a beautiful home and a big family who love us. Can't that be enough?"

"Of course it could be enough, but each time I'm so hopeful and sure it's the same feeling I had when I was with child, but then it is so heartbreaking to realize there is no child growing inside me. Adam, I want that so much. I pray and I pray, and I almost beg God to please let it be true."

"Annie, I think we have to relax and just let it happen. It worked out once when we weren't even trying. Maybe if we could not think about it so much, it would just happen again."

"Now you sound like Doc Martin. Have you been talking with him about me?"

"Not at all. Maybe we just think alike on this."

"Michele says the same thing. She said she's never had a child, and wishes it could happen but knows it probably won't. She says she's happy with all the stepchildren she has, a grandchild, and maybe two more on the way."

"You used to think much the same way. You thought you couldn't have a baby."

"I know, I know, count my blessings, and, Adam, I do, but I still want another baby very much. I don't know how not to want that now."

Not knowing if there was anything he could say to make things any better, Adam pulled Annie close to him and kissed the top of her head and she rested against him. Gently he took her hand and led her back to their bedroom. He slid in the bed and flung the covers wide so that Annie would be able to get in bed unimpeded.

"We can't do anything, you know."

"Yes we can. We can hold each other and take comfort in each other's arms. We probably have another hour before Andrew wakes up and it's Saturday so we don't have to rush anywhere. C'mon."

So Annie moved into the bed and into Adam's arms. He pulled the covers up and held her close. As she rested her head on his chest, he began singing a slow low lullaby and was rewarded about ten minutes later with soft gentle breathing that let him know that Annie had fallen asleep. Smiling, he closed his eyes and enjoyed the comfort of being with a wife whom he loved more than life itself. It felt so good to be able to comfort her in her sadness. He was sad too but would never let Annie know how disappointed he was each time as she was. He needed to be strong for her so he was. When he heard Andrew's call, he went to get him after changing him into dry clothing. Then he slipped him into bed next to Annie and told him to kiss her. Andrew loved doing that so that was how Annie awakened with kisses and a smiling toddler. Her mood immediately improved and she got out of bed slipping her robe back on and took Andrew downstairs to get him something to eat as Adam shaved.

After breakfast, the three headed to the main house. Adam was going into town with Hoss to get supplies, and the three ladies had plans to do some baking as Hop Sing took the weekend off to celebrate a wedding and a birth in the Chinese community in Virginia City. Usually the ladies had to do things like baking or learning how to make a new dish in Annie's kitchen but had Hop Sing's kitchen for the weekend and had to prepare meals anyway.

As Adam walked in the door, Ben looked up from his chair where he had been reading the paper. He had to smile every time he saw Adam and his family. He had worried at one time that Adam might leave because he felt unfulfilled with ranch work. Annie and then Andrew had given Adam a brighter perspective on the ranch as he thought of it now as a place to be with his family. His new house had gotten a lot of attention too because of some of the modern design and the amenities he had incorporated into it. He was now designing two houses for people in town and had the interest of others. For Ben, this could not have worked out better. That his grandson adored him and would run to him as soon as his father set him on the floor was a huge and welcome bonus.

"He still walks and runs like a drunken sailor, but at least he doesn't knock things over any more and he hasn't gotten any more black eyes lately either." Adam smiled as he said it though watching his son propel himself across the room into his grandpa's waiting arms.

Soon Hoss, Joe, and Michele were there too with Andrew being the center of attention and enjoying that a great deal. Adam looked at Annie and smirked.

"He must have gotten that from you. I never liked having everyone looking at me like that. It usually meant I was in trouble."

"Yes, Jeremy has told us tales about you, Annie. He says you used to dance around and sing for everybody until they gave you hugs and kisses." Hoss loved his sister-in-law and couldn't resist teasing her.

"Hey, Hoss, now that they got their own house, maybe she does that for Adam."

"Joseph, that is not appropriate. You should apologize to Annie right now."

"It's all right, Papa. I grew up with a brother and I know what a pain in the behind they can be." Annie smirked in Joe's direction knowing that Ben would never chastise her for her comment no matter how much he wanted to do just that. He would defer to Adam on that score.

"Speaking of which, someone's bottom might just get that spanking she so richly deserves if she keeps up that cheeky talk." Adam tried a stare down with Annie but she was in a mood to stand up to him so they both had to give up after a few minutes when it was clear neither would win. Annie wisely decided to change the subject though.

"Where's Maggie?"

"She's feeling poorly in the mornings. Hop Sing said if she would stay in bed and drink some tea and eat some of those biscuits he makes when your stomach is sour, well then, he said she'd feel better. She'll be down in a bit. It usually only lasts an hour or so."

No one could miss the sad look that came over Annie. Adam wrapped an arm around her but said nothing. He knew she would have to work this out for herself. She couldn't get sad every time someone said something in reference to Maggie being pregnant. Instead Hoss said he would go get the wagon ready so he and Adam could head to town. Ben said he had some mail ready to go and would get it, and Joe offered to go help Hoss before he headed out on his own errands. After a few minutes, Annie told Adam she was all right, and he needed to get going if he planned to be back by dinner because Hoss would not forgive him for making him late when his wife was cooking dinner for him. With a smile and a kiss for Annie and then Andrew, Adam took the mail from Ben to join Hoss.

In town, Hoss and Adam dropped their list off at the mercantile, and then headed to the saddlery and the jewelry shop. Adam was going to help Hoss pick out a piece of jewelry to give to Maggie when the baby was born. After that, they dropped off the mail, and then had lunch. By the time they got back to the mercantile, their order was ready, and they packed the wagon.

"Older brother, we did all of that in record time. I think it would be a good idea to congratulate ourselves with a beer or two."

"Bigger brother, that sounds like a wonderful plan. Let's go."

Being married now, neither brother was in a saloon much any more except on trips like this. Hoss couldn't help it and told a few friends that he was going to be a father. That led to congratulations and a lot more than one or two beers for the big man. Adam had two and surmised that he would be driving the rig home as Hoss slept in the back. It usually seemed to happen that way. A couple of miners in the back of the saloon did not take part in the celebration. Mines were laying off workers again, and they were in a sour mood. One decided to see what he could do to shut down the celebrating.

"Hey, Hoss, that's great. Too bad your older brother can't seem to make that happen with his wife."

Adam bristled at the statement, and Hoss put a hand on his arm. "Adam, maybe we should go now?"

"Yeah, you better get him outta here. He ain't much of a man so his brother has to take care of him. What's the matter, Cartwright, can't plow deep enough? Hey, if you ain't man enough, I got five kids already, and I could stop by and take a turn with your wife."

Hoss grabbed Adam then with some help from a couple of cowboys who didn't want to see Adam get in trouble. The miner's next comment made them let him go though.

"Maybe you weren't even the father of the first one. Who done her for ya that time?"

As Adam launched himself at the offending miner, several other miners decided to help their friend so Hoss stepped up to help Adam and the whole thing escalated from there. Roy got to the door as fast as he could when he heard there was a ruckus with the Cartwrights in the saloon. What he didn't expect was that Adam was in the middle of it, and Little Joe was nowhere to be found.

"Now that's enough of that." Roy fired off his shotgun then and stopped the melee. "Now who started this?" The loudmouthed miner was the first to speak as Adam was standing trying to get his breath back and stop the bleeding from his nose.

"Adam Cartwright started it. He threw the first punches, and when my friends tried to help me, Hoss Cartwright stepped right into it too."

"Adam, you started this?" At Adam's nod, Roy looked to Cosmo.

"With what Buck said, I was ready to hit him. Adam was goaded into it, and any man would have reacted the way he did."

Walking to the bar, Roy asked Cosmo what was said. Quietly, Cosmo told him. Looking at the miners, Roy told them that they were not welcome in town for two weeks. "Ifn I see you anywhere in town except church for the next two weeks, you're going to jail. Is that clear?"

One miner was going to object, but the others grabbed his arm and hustled him out of the saloon. Roy looked over at Adam and Hoss then. "I understand what happened, but ya still started a fight. By rights, I should probably fine you for disorderly conduct, but considering what was said to you, I'll settle for you paying for the damages. It don't look like too much except for the shotgun blast in the ceiling. Cosmo has fixed a few of those in the past and knows how much it costs. Cosmo, you got an idea on damages this time?"

"I think about thirty dollars this time. No glass and no furniture got broken."

Pulling money from his pocket, Adam paid the thirty dollars and added a generous tip for Cosmo. He thanked him before he and Hoss left. Roy shook his head and followed them out. He figured anything he said to them at that point would pale in comparison to what they would hear from their wives and from Ben so he just watched them walk to the wagon and head out of town before he walked back to his office.

In the saloon, a bearded man in nondescript clothing was smiling. It had all been very entertaining, and he now had a plan for bringing down Adam Cartwright. They could not rebuild the syndicate, but they had other plans on a smaller scale, and there were people who were going to be removed to set an example for anyone else who tried to get in their way. After Adam, he would take care of Maggie Cartwright although he didn't like the idea of doing away with a pregnant woman so she could wait until after the babies were born. Then, when that was done, Ben Cartwright would be in the crosshairs. The deaths of the three of them would be an adequate warning not to mess with the plans they had, and the Ponderosa was still part of the overall scheme.

Chapter 2

The bearded man took a room at one of the small nondescript hotels in town. He dressed in such a way as to not draw attention. He worked his way around a couple of saloons until he had the name and then the location of the antagonist from the brawl with Adam Cartwright the day before. Then he moved to the Ponderosa taking up a position in the trees where he could observe the ranch houses and see who was coming and going. When he saw Adam ride out alone headed southwest on his third day of watching, he packed up his meager possessions and headed toward town. Once near Virginia City, he dressed all in black and pulled a rifle from its scabbard with a large silver C in the stock. He walked until he was in position and waited until his target walked outside his small ramshackle house. Buck never knew what hit him as the bullet entered his chest and penetrated his heart. He fell forward and his five children and wife raced outside to see to him. The bearded man waited in the shade of the tree until he was sure the family got a good look at him. As they looked up the hill and saw a tall man all in black with a rifle that looked to have silver in the stock, he walked away up the hill and disappeared into the trees.

On the Ponderosa, Adam had just begun to ride the fence lines. He was hoping that by the time he returned home, his wife and his father would have forgiven him for the fight in town. Both had been frosty toward him ever since he returned home with a bruised and battered face and bloody knuckles. He knew Annie was sensitive at this time and should have known his appearance would cause tears and then anger. What surprised him was his father's reaction that was stronger than he expected. Finally he had realized that his father had come to love Annie like a daughter and felt that Adam had hurt and disappointed her. Adam and Hoss had not shared the specifics of what had been said but only that Adam had been repeatedly insulted and had blown his stack. Repetition of those insults would have hurt Annie deeply. Adam had opened up to Hoss on the way home about how sad Annie was not being able to bear another child yet.

"I'm so sorry, Adam. I didn't know our good news would upset her so."

"No, Hoss, don't feel badly. It's just that Annie is sensitive about it especially when it's her time. No, you should be happy and celebrating. It's great news. I just wanted you to understand why Annie may be less than enthused when you and Maggie talk about it especially about Maggie feeling nauseated. That was the only symptom Annie had that let her know she was with child. That's why we went to see Paul. Now every time she gets a queasy stomach, she's hoping and then her hopes get dashed."

"It must be real hard on her." Thinking for a bit, Hoss had realized that they shouldn't talk then about what had happened. "So ifn we say why we was fighting, it would hurt her."

"Yes, it would hurt her. So we'll just blame the fight on my temper and pride. She'll buy that. In a few days, hopefully, she'll forgive me for my lapse in good judgment, and we can put this behind us."

"Pa may have a few words for you too."

"I know, but it isn't like he's going to take me outside for a 'talk' now."

"Sometimes the way he looks at me hurts worse than those tannings did all those years ago."

"I know what you mean. When those eyebrows push down and the mouth tightens up, you know he's thinking that you disappointed him very much. Heck all I have to do is bring Andrew with me. That will stop all his thoughts about being angry."

"Yeah, I've noticed how he dotes on your son. Do you suppose he'll be that way with mine?"

"Oh, probably worse because you'll have two of them. One for each arm, and if it happens to be girls, he's gonna be in heaven."

"You think it could be girls?"

"Of course. It must be even odds whether they're boys or girls. Which would you prefer?"

"The best would be one of each, but I have to say that with Maggie, I hope they're girls. Can you imagine how beautiful two girls would be?"

"Yeah, Hoss, but have you thought about what it might be like if they looked like you? Two girls wide in the beam and towering over the men in the area?"

"Adam, now don't you go talking like that. I may have to pound you a little myself."

And the two brothers had laughed and continued to home where Adam's reception was a bit frostier than he had expected. Annie was concerned that Andrew was getting old enough to notice Adam's damaged appearance and know what caused it. Indeed, Andrew did.

"Papa fight?"

"Yes, Papa was in a fight."

Looking at Hoss, Andrew had another question. "Papa fight Unca Hoss?"

"No, if I had a fight with Uncle Hoss, I would look a lot worse than this. Now why don't you go to Grandpa so Mama can help me clean up?" Looking over at Annie and how she looked, Adam wasn't so sure she wanted to, but she got up and walked to the kitchen ahead of him. She said nothing at first, and Adam hoped that would mean she wouldn't, but she was just getting fired up and it took a while for the steam to blow out of her ears.

"How dare you? You're a father now and you have responsibilities to your son. You're not supposed to go out there and risk yourself. What would happen to Andrew if you got yourself killed?"

"It was a barroom brawl. I wasn't going to be killed."

"And how many men have thought that before the knife ripped into their belly or a bullet tore into their chest? If you fight with angry men, bad things can happen, and don't you dare patronize me like I don't understand what happens in barroom brawls."

"I'm sorry. I guess I should just stay out of saloons. I never meant to get in a brawl. It just happened."

"Mister, I never meant that you can't go in a saloon especially with your family, but I just wish you could control that temper of yours and set a better example for our son. He knows you were in a fight. He adores you, and you know he'll want to be like you. Do you want him fighting with his fists every time he doesn't like what someone has said? Do you want him to be a saloon brawler like his father?"

Wanting to explain but knowing he would lessen his own pain but increase Annie's exponentially, Adam remained silent and nodded his head as Annie cleaned up his knuckles and spread salve on them. Then she carefully wiped his face and made sure that the slight abrasions were clean before putting salve on them too. Her gentle touch belied her fierce words, and he knew she loved him and would forgive him even if it took a few days in her heightened sensitivity. He smiled a little crooked smile at her, and she shook her head before leaning down and giving him a brief but gentle kiss.

As Adam rode the fence line, he thought about that conversation. He had lost his temper, and that likely could mean more taunts the next time he was in town. He did need to control that temper of his, and he planned to tell Annie that when he got back in a few days. As he rode late in the day, he thought about whether to push on to get to the line shack or just camp out. He decided on the line shack because of the bunk for sleeping and didn't get there until it was dusk. He cooked a small meal of beans and bacon leaving enough to have for breakfast. He felt relaxed. Although he often didn't like the boredom of ranch work, being out here riding and able to think with peace all around him and fresh grass and pine smells to soothe him made him more content than when he labored at a desk drawing plans. He guessed he had the best of both worlds now with the drafting to keep his mind rolling and the ranch work to make him feel free. He finished cleaning up and then he rolled himself into the comfort of a bed and slept until dawn not knowing what turmoil there was in town and at his home.

"Roy, you know that my husband would never bushwhack anyone. Whoever said he did is lying." Annie was incensed. She had been called to the main house by Hoss who said Roy was there with bad news. Leaving Andrew in the care of Michele and Maggie, Annie had gone to the great room to find everyone looking upset.

"Now, Annie, I know that, but you see I got six witnesses who say it was Adam. Now I gotta go by the evidence and right now it all points at Adam. He had a fight with Buck, and now Buck's dead and his wife and five kids all say it was Adam who done it. I ain't got no choice, Annie, I really don't. I need to know where Adam is. I gotta arrest him."

Looking to Ben, Hoss, and Joe, Annie wondered how this could possibly be true. Hoss was the only one to say something. "Annie, we didn't say nothing about where he is. We want to talk to him and get him to ride in on his own."

Standing in thought for a bit, Annie agreed. "Yes, and I want to be with him, and we'll get this whole ridiculous mess straightened out. I can't believe you're doing this, Roy. I can't believe you aren't trying to find the real murderer."

"Annie, there was tracks the killer made and they was from the Ponderosa and then there was tracks that headed right back here. All the evidence points at Adam so I've got no choice. Now Buck had a lot of friends and there's a lot of anger in town. You better get Adam in there soon as you can. He'll be safe in the jail. I can't promise he'll be safe anywhere else."

Realizing that none of the Cartwrights were ready to tell him anything, Roy left then hoping that Adam would make it safely to town the next day. When he left, the whole family gathered together to discuss what to do. Maggie and Michele offered to care for Andrew, and the others all planned to go to Adam and then ride into town with him. Ben tried to convince Annie to go to town to wait for them, but she had an answer to that.

"If they're so angry at Adam, do you think I would be safer in town alone or with you and my husband?"

Bowing to her logic, everyone retired for the night expecting to get an early start in the morning. Ben wasn't surprised the next morning when Annie walked in the main house before dawn with Andrew in her arms. She put him in the downstairs guest room to sleep before sitting with Ben to wait for Hoss and Joe as well as for the sun to rise. They said little as both worried about what the day would bring. Hoss joined them first.

"Do you think he's at the first line shack?" Ben was beginning to make a plan for the day's ride.

Hoss answered. "I would bet on it. It's a long day's ride to get there, but he don't like sleeping on the ground. He would want that bunk in the line shack unless he got hung up with too many fence repairs and couldn't get there."

"Then that's where we'll head first. If he went there, he's got a lot of fence in that area to check, and he'll probably still be in that area by the time we get there."

"If it took him a day to get there, wouldn't that be enough to prove he couldn't have shot Buck Davis?"

"Unfortunately, no. It's a roundabout route if you follow all the fence lines. We'll ride directly there and it's only about two hours. About two hours from there to town too."

Annie dropped her head. She didn't know how they were going to extricate Adam from this. She had hardly slept and her thoughts were all about the six witnesses against him and how hard it would be for them to prove his innocence in the face of that kind of evidence against him. All she said though was one thing that Ben and Hoss understood completely. "Damn those barroom brawls."

Chapter 3

Getting up at dawn, Adam quickly made coffee and had breakfast. He left all of his gear in the cabin because with all the fences in this area, he could spend a second night in the line shack. He headed out to start the day's work and had worked about two hours when he heard horses riding toward him. He loosened the tie on his pistol but relaxed when he saw Hoss and Joe riding out front and then Annie and his father right behind them although he feared why they would be coming to see him as a group. As they neared, he voiced his greatest fear.

"Is Andrew all right?"

Dismounting, Annie ran to him with tears in her eyes increasing his fear until she spoke. Adam dismounted to take her in his arms. "Andrew is fine. Nothing has happened to him."

"Then why are all of you here? It can't be good news."

"Oh, Adam, Buck Davis was shot and killed. His family is saying that they saw you. Roy says you have to go to town and be arrested." Annie couldn't hold back the tears, and Adam wrapped his arms around her as he looked to his father and brothers.

"What? That's ridiculous. I haven't been anywhere near town since that fight happened."

But Ben filled in more of the evidence Roy was using. "They found the gunman's tracks. He rode in from the direction of the Ponderosa, and then he rode back in this general direction. With that and his family saying they saw you, he thinks he has no alternative except to arrest you."

"You don't think I could have done something like that, do you?"

"Of course not, son, but Roy was at the ranch to arrest you last night. I told him you would come in on your own. We're here to ride with you to show everyone that we stand together on this. We'll hire a lawyer and get this mess all straightened out. I certainly wish I had not asked you to do this job. If you had been anywhere else, you would have alibi witnesses. I don't suppose you've seen anyone out here?"

"Pa, a party of Paiute came through hunting, but I doubt anyone would take their word for seeing me. Other than that, there was a miner and a mule that I sent packing. I don't know his name, and I doubt he would be in a mood to help me out even if you could find him."

"Adam, you tell me what he looked like and where you saw him, and I'll find him. He'll tell the truth too."

"Hoss, I saw him just after the duck pond where the beaver always try to build that dam. He was using the water from the pond to run a small sluice. You'll see it there. I broke it up after I sent him on his way. He wasn't finding anything anyway so he was less troublesome than he would have been if he had found some gold. He's a short man with a full beard, and had a buffalo robe tied over the back of his mule with all the various packs you usually see miners carrying."

"As soon as I can, I'll ride there to see what I can find. I was thinking I oughta ride into town with all of ya."

"Hoss, if you can find that miner and get him to tell the truth, that would help even more than riding in with me."

"You got it, brother. I'll be back as soon as I find him." Hoss wheeled his horse to head in the direction of the duck pond and hopefully a trail to follow.

"I've got my pack and supplies at the line shack, but I guess I won't be needing those where I'm going. Just tell whoever comes up here to finish the job that there are already supplies up here." Slowly Adam pried Annie's arms from around his waist. He pulled a handkerchief and wiped her eyes and cheeks. "Sweetheart, we've been through worse. At least I didn't get shot this time." With a brave small smile, Annie nodded. "We need to get going before Roy decides he needs to send a full fledged posse after me. Some of the men who volunteer for those have mighty itchy trigger fingers." Annie nodded again and Adam helped her mount up. He climbed up on Sport, took a deep breath, and turned his horse toward town. He had a lot of feelings churning inside but the greatest of them at the moment was fear. From the simple scenario laid out by his father with what Roy had told him made a very good case against him, and he was very worried that being innocent might not be enough. He couldn't say anything like that at the moment because Annie was upset enough already and it would do no good to voice his fear because there was a good chance they had all thought exactly the same thing before they even saw him today.

As the four of them rode into town, there were lots of stares and murmuring among those who saw them. As they neared the sheriff's office, angry calls rang out. Apparently there were a number of people who had come to the conclusion that Adam was guilty as he would be charged. Adam swung down from his horse and took Annie's hand after she dismounted. The two of them walked in together ignoring the taunts from the crowd although Annie had to wonder at the content. What did their having only one child have to do with this? Once inside, Roy greeted them somberly. He knew how difficult this had to be.

"Adam, I'm real sorry about this, but I ain't got a choice. I reckon your pa told you what the evidence against you is and it's just too much for me not to have to do this. So ifn you would take off your gunbelt, I'll hang it on the rack here, and you can have it once this mess gets all straightened out."

Stepping forward at that point, Ben had a question that was almost a challenge. "Do you have to arrest him? Shouldn't there be an inquest or something first?"

"Ben, Judge Walker held an inquest this morning at my request. The Davis family came in and every one of em said they saw Adam on the hill with a rifle standing by a tree. Buck's friends were there and testified as to what happened at the saloon five days ago."

"Well they certainly wouldn't be reliable witnesses. They're his friends."

"Ben, even if I brought Cosmo in for his side of it, it would have been the same. Any man would have been pretty darn mad if that stuff was said to him. Every single man on that inquest jury had the same feeling about it. They said it was murder and that Adam was the one who should be charged. Now I just ain't got no choice in the matter. You need to go get your lawyer over here fast as you can. Judge Walker ain't one to tarry when it comes to a serious case. He'll want to start this tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? That's not enough time to get ready for a serious case like this."

"Well unless your lawyer can come up with a reason to wait, Judge Walker has called for the case to start at ten tomorrow morning."

"Pa, maybe you and Joe ought to go see about that lawyer. I want to talk with Annie for a bit in private if that's all right with everyone."

"Adam, I can lock her in the cell with you. I'll close the door and the two of you can have some private time." Roy was assuming that Adam wanted to console his wife who looked thoroughly shaken by the experience, but Adam had a different agenda entirely.

"Sweetheart, I think I'm going to be convicted." As Annie was about to protest, Adam put his finger lightly on her lips. "Quiet for just a moment, please. I may not have much time to say this. Annie, if I'm convicted, I'm not staying here. I'll find a way to get away. I will not hang for something I didn't do."

"But where will you go? What will we do?"

"We'll work the details out if it comes to that. Now just tell Hoss that I said I would find a hole in the wall to hide. Please remember to say that."

"Adam, you talk as if this is all set. You get to have a trial. You'll have a lawyer. There must be a way to defend an innocent man against a charge like this."

"Annie, think about it. Whoever shot Buck Davis dressed like me for a reason. Someone set me up for this, and Buck paid the price. Talk to Maggie when you get back. She may have some ideas."

"You think you know who did this, don't you? You think the syndicate is reaching out for you because of what you did to destroy their plans."

"I am. And Annie, if I'm a target, then so are Maggie and Pa and perhaps even you. These men don't have any moral qualms about killing women. Please be careful and convince everyone in the family to be careful. This isn't going to stop with me."

"Adam, it's been six months. Why would they do this now?"

"They took some time for the remnants of the syndicate to regroup, and I would guess they have another plan, and the Ponderosa is still probably part of it."

"If you have to escape, where would I go to meet you?"

"I have friends in California, Arizona, and Mexico. I would probably choose one of those for you to go to so I could rendezvous with you at some point. I don't have any definite idea on that yet. First we have to see how the trial goes, and then I have to find a way to get away if it goes as badly as I suspect it will."

There was some commotion then in the outer office and a knock on the door. Adam called out to Roy that they were ready. Ben and Joe walked in with the family lawyer and another who was more skilled in criminal cases. Adam knew that his father and their lawyer knew just how bad things looked. They pulled some chairs and a bench to the area outside Adam's cell and began to talk strategy as Roy retreated to his office closing the door behind him. Clem came in to say the mood in town was ugly especially among the miners. Roy sent him out to hire two more deputies and tell them that they would all be on duty until dawn. It might be a long night for everyone.

Inside the cell area, the mood was just as negative. The lawyers had no idea how to defend this case other than to have Adam take to the stand to defend himself. But with six witnesses against him and others who would swear to the altercation in the saloon and with no alibi witnesses, his case looked bleak. Adam voiced his theory about the syndicate, and everyone hoped that Hoss could find the old prospector for it would at least create a little doubt as to Adam's guilt. It was a very serious group as they broke for the night with the lawyers planning to get up early in the morning to see what they could come up with for a defense. Ben grasped his son's shoulder as Adam leaned against the bars to say goodbye. Joe mumbled a goodbye as well.

Then it was time for Adam to say good night to his wife and he couldn't get any words out. Annie was in the same position. They held each other and silently communicated their love. Adam feared that it might be the last time he got to hug his wife but would never say such a thing to her, but Annie was feeling the same fear.

"You have to go now. Tell Andrew I love him and give him a hug for me." Annie couldn't speak. Adam called out for Roy to open the cell, and reluctantly, Annie left. Ben and Joe were waiting for her outside. The three of them rode home.

The next morning, there was more bad news. Hoss returned after having lost the prospector's trail on the road. There was no telling where he was. All of them poked at their breakfasts and then dressed for the ride to town. Hoss and Joe went to the stable to get the carriage ready and saddle a couple of horses because everyone wanted to be there. Hop Sing was going to watch over Andrew who enjoyed the cook's company. Maggie had been told of Adam's suspicions but she had no ideas on how to proceed. She planned to send some telegrams as soon as she got to town, but they all knew that any help was likely to arrive too late to do any good.

In the stable, Joe kicked a pail, a bale of hay, and some loose tack. Hoss looked at him wondering what the temper was all about. He himself was very depressed, but he knew anger could develop at any time because of what was happening to Adam. He just wondered why Joe was already so upset.

"Because things just couldn't get much worse, now could they? Adam is sitting in jail framed up for a murder and you know what could happen in the next day or two. Martha went back to Denver, and I haven't heard a word from her even though I sent three letters already. Some criminals are out there plotting against the Ponderosa and Maggie and Pa might be in danger, and maybe even Annie. And we still don't know who's behind any of it, and we don't know what they're planning."

Hoss noted how Martha's absence was right in there with all the other problems they were facing. Joe had been more emotionally involved with Martha than he wanted to admit. When she said she needed to go back to Denver to take care of a few things, Joe had been very upset which had led to Martha being upset. The two had not parted on good terms, but Joe realized his mistakes quickly and had written an apology and then two more letters but there had been no response from Martha. Now with all the turmoil surrounding Adam and the possibility of some severe consequences that Hoss didn't even want to think about, Joe was very upset.

"Joe, I gotta tell ya something. No matter what happens, Adam ain't gonna hang. I won't allow it."

"What are you gonna do? Break him out of jail?" When Hoss didn't answer, Joe knew. "You might need some help, and you better ask me when you need it or I'll kick your butt all the way to town and back."

"Ifn I need you, I'll ask. For now we can pray it don't come to that because it might tear our family apart and it could cost us the Ponderosa, but our brother is not gonna hang for something he didn't do."

Nodding, Joe picked up the harness and began preparing to hitch up the carriage for the ladies and their father. He and Hoss would ride their horses into town. At least now he felt they had a plan. It wasn't much of a plan, but it was some hope in an otherwise hopeless situation.

Chapter 4

There were dark circles under Adam's eyes and he looked haggard, but at least he was cleanly shaved and in clean clothing when Annie walked in to see him in the morning. The rest of the family gave the couple about ten minutes of private time before they all moved into the cell area to discuss their plan of action with the lawyers. All the lawyers could hope for was a one day delay, and would approach the judge on that first. If that was denied, their only hope was that Adam could take the stand and be convincing to at least create some doubt as to his guilt. Without that, there was no hope of an acquittal. That plan lasted as long as it took to get to the courtroom and ask. Without a solid reason to support the delay, Judge Walker was not inclined to grant a delay. He had a lot of cases to move onto the next week in small towns near Virginia City. So the prosecution began its case by bringing the miners in to testify as to the nature of the conversation in the saloon.

All night long, Adam had dreaded this part of the trial but knew there was no way to avoid it. He had hoped someone could keep Annie from the courtroom but knew that was a futile hope as well. The miners testified to the comments about Adam and Annie having only one child and that Adam might not be the father of Annie's child. Every man on the jury saw Annie's tears as they wet her cheeks and knew they would have defended their wives' honor as well as their own in similar circumstances. No one begrudged Adam the fight, but that also meant they accepted the prosecution's premise that the comments created the anger that led to the shooting. Adam's head was bowed for he knew the pain his wife was suffering and knew that would be the case. When he turned to look at her sitting behind him though, she smiled at him. He knew then that at least the fight in the saloon was forgiven even if it had cost Annie pain to get to that point.

Next up were the Davis family members with Mrs. Davis and her oldest son testifying that they saw Adam next to the tree after Buck was shot down. The judge asked is all four of the other children were going to say the same thing, and had them sworn all at once to save time. The trial broke for lunch then, and the case against Adam looked solid.

It was a somber group that gathered at the jail to eat although hardly anyone could get more than a bite or two down. Lots of coffee sufficed to assuage their appetites. The two lawyers looked to Adam and told him it was all up to him now. His testimony was the only way to put a crack in the prosecution case. The men on the jury knew him. If he could convince at least some of them that he was telling the truth and being framed, then perhaps they could hope the jury would not find him guilty. Adam took the stand after lunch.

"I have killed men, yes, but I would never kill a man from ambush. I have only shot at men and sometimes wounded or killed them to protect myself or others. Buck and I settled our differences just the way any man here would have. It was over especially after the comments I received when I got home about brawling in a saloon." That brought a chuckle or two from the jury as well as the gallery. Asked where he had been when Buck Davis was shot down, Adam answered that he had been riding fence and only saw a Paiute hunting party, and an old prospector he had run off the property. Unable to find the old prospector, Adam had no witnesses for his alibi.

Once the closing arguments concluded, it was nearly five and the judge adjourned for dinner. The jury was out for hours after dinner, and then adjourned until the next morning. Adam's lawyers were hopeful that meant the jury was divided, but the next morning, all that they got was that the jury found him guilty. The judge said he would take the matter under consideration, and adjourned the case until Monday morning because he said he would never sentence a man late on a Saturday. What almost everyone took that to mean was that he was going to sentence Adam to hang and would not force him to wait all day Sunday until Monday for the sentence to be carried out.

Annie burst into tears as Adam was led away in chains by Clem with the assistance of the other deputies. The crowd outside was surly with a lot of miners there who had hoped that Adam would already be sentenced to hang. Clem didn't put up with anything and got Adam to the jail safely. Roy stood by Ben to offer his condolences but no one in the family was in the mood to accept any. Once the street began to clear, the family headed over to the jail to see Adam. Roy turned to Judge Walker.

"You know this case stinks to high heaven, now dontcha?"

"I know it does, Roy. I've known these Cartwrights for a long time. I saw Adam grow from a boy to a man, and I know he would never have done this. Whoever set this up is a master at it, and I have to think it's not the first time they've done something like this."

"What can we do about it?"

"Not a lot, I'm afraid. I have to rule according to law. I wish I could sentence him to a life term but in a case of premeditated murder like this, it would be inappropriate. I hate what I'm going to have to do on Monday."

"The way they framed him up, he wouldn't last long in prison. It wouldn't take them long to find somebody to finish the job they started here."

"I know, Roy, but we're bound by the law. I wish there was another way, but I can't think of a darn thing I can do."

"Somebody has to poke a hole in this case somehow, or I'm afraid there's no way to save Adam. I wish someone could find that prospector he described. It may be his only hope now."

At the jail, Adam had some instructions for the lawyers. He wanted everything in Annie's name with Hoss as her legal partner if a man's signature was required on any document. He told both lawyers that he wanted them to expedite the transfer of property to Annie and signed a statement witnessed by Roy that he was giving permission with no coercion and was of a sound mind to do so. Then he asked for some private time with his wife which everyone was glad to give him even though all of them wanted to spend as much time with him as they could. Maggie got return messages to her telegrams and could offer little hope.

"An investigation has been started, and will tie into the investigation that is still trying to find the people who were at the head of the syndicate. The lower level people are mostly in custody, and people who were bought are retired or resigned. But we still need to find the rest of the syndicate especially now that it appears they are beginning another plan. But investigations like this take time, and we don't have much of that, do we?"

"Maggie, what about our telegram to the governor to set aside the verdict and get a new trial?"

"Papa, they said no. They would grant us a stay but nothing more."

Ben looked at the lawyers. They nodded and went to get the stay approved. All they could hope to do was get time after the sentencing and delay the carrying out of that sentence which they feared would be a sentence of death by hanging. They were not aware of the judge's concerns with the case. The judge had sent off his own inquiries asking what the legal limitations were on his sentencing powers in this case. He hoped to have his answer by Monday morning. Roy sat slouched at his desk. He was miserable as all he could do was unlock Adam's cell to let his wife in or out. Michele and Maggie went to get some dinner for everyone. Hoss and Joe were feeling powerless so when Hoss suggested they make one more attempt to find that old prospector, Joe nearly jumped to his feet. The two headed out immediately telling the ladies what they were doing before they left. Ben said a silent prayer that they might be successful. The group had a very quiet dinner with each lost in their own thoughts.

In the cell, Adam and Annie were no longer talking. They had eaten their dinners and had said everything that needed to be said. They had made some plans but were not going to tell anyone what they were. Adam held Annie close to him trying to memorize how it felt to hold her and how her body touched his. He inhaled the scent of her and let the warmth of her seep into him. He kissed her a number of times but it wasn't an amorous type of kiss. The kisses were gentle but sensuous. They might not see each other for a very long time, but neither even wanted to acknowledge that it might be never. Finally it was time to say goodnight but there weren't any words, and if there had been, Annie would just have cried anyway. She preferred to hug and then slowly let his hand drop as she left the room without looking back. She couldn't bear to have the picture of Adam standing behind bars be the last view she would remember. She left quickly as Ben walked to the back to say goodbye. Michele and Maggie went with him.

When Adam said goodnight to his father, he told him that he needed to trust Annie, and to know that whatever she did, it was in Adam's best interest. Ben wanted so much to ask questions. He felt left out now that Adam's confidante was his wife. He wondered too why Adam had made Hoss the cosigner with Annie. Adam always had a reason for doing things, but Ben was puzzled by that one.

"Pa, sometimes it's better not to know things. Just trust us on this one, please."

"Adam, I always trust you, but sometimes I don't agree with what you do. Please can you tell me that you aren't going to do anything illegal?"

"Pa, it's better if I don't answer that question. Now please keep my wife and son safe. Once they've got me out of the way, I think that you, Maggie, and Annie are going to be targets. Please be very careful. And don't let anyone go anywhere alone. Where are Hoss and Joe?"

"Trying to find that old prospector. They'll scour every camp in that area and every stream until they find him or have to admit he's moved on. They have until Monday morning."

"To find a needle in a haystack. I've given up any hope that they'll find him."

"Adam, don't give up hope. It's all we have sometimes. Once the lawyers get the stay, we can keep working on it. I'll hire detectives on Monday morning and get them working on your case. There has to be something we can find to poke a hole in this. I just wish I knew why the Davis family was so sure it was you, but we've been ordered by the judge to stay away from them. Apparently they are staying with friends so we don't even know where they are anyway."

"The stay won't do much good. Whoever set this up did a great job of framing me. If we don't get to the bottom of this, there isn't much hope, and Maggie must have told you how long an investigation could take to uncover the truth. I don't think I'm going to be given that time."

"All we can do is hope and pray that we can get a break. All we need is one thing to get the judge to declare a mistrial and grant you another trial."

"I'll try to hope and pray, but I don't think it's going to be enough. Now take care of Annie and Andrew, please. Try to get everyone to get some rest. I have a feeling it's going to be a rough week."

With his head downcast, Ben said goodnight and went to escort the ladies home. They stopped at Adam's house so that Annie could collect some clothing for her and Andrew. They were going to move into the guest room in the main house. No one found it easy to fall asleep that night. Andrew was fussy and didn't want to leave his mother's side. Apparently he could sense the sadness and worry from everyone no matter how much they tried to hide it. In the early morning hours, everyone finally fell into a fitful slumber only to be awakened just after dawn by a pounding on the front door. When Ben got downstairs to unlock the door, he found Roy there with a couple of deputies.

"Roy, what are you doing here? Haven't we had enough trouble?"

"Adam escaped. Now Ben, ya gotta tell me. Is he here?"

Chapter 5

Standing at the door of the guest room holding a groggy Andrew in her arms, Annie had to grin. Adam had said he would and he did. Now they would have to try to do all the other things he had asked her to accomplish. She wished that Hoss was home so she could give him the message from Adam, but it would have to wait. Adam had said that only Hoss would understand the message. She listened as Roy grilled Ben on the whereabouts of Joe and Hoss. Ben suddenly understood why Adam had said it was better for him not to know anything. He could stand there and tell that to Roy and swear on a Bible that he was telling the truth because he was. Annie could not be compelled to testify against her husband, and Joe and Hoss weren't even around when Adam escaped. None of them could be held accountable for what Adam had done. He was a fugitive now though, and wanted as a convicted murderer. He was far from safe, but he was free. She listened as Roy explained what had happened.

"Well Adam was sitting on his cot looking all sad and almost sick, I guess. According to my deputies, he was all bent over and had his arms wrapped around himself like he was real cold. My deputies asked if he needed anything, and he said a pistol to put a hole in his head. Now they thought he was really depressed so they decided to get him something to drink and eat and an extra blanket thinking maybe that would help. When they opened that cell door with their hands full, he pulled a pistol on em. Now according to them, it was a small caliber handgun, but you know at that distance, it could still do a lot of damage, and everyone knows how well he can shoot. Well it was just before the sun came up, and I was walking to the office and I saw Adam run out and jump on a horse. I yelled for him to stop, and he looked at me and said pretty as you please, 'Roy, you won't shoot me.' Well then he wheeled that horse around to ride out of town."

"Roy, you didn't shoot him, did you?"

"No, Ben, you know I didn't. He was right. I could never shoot him. Now those two deputies of mine fired some shots after him. He went down low against that horse's neck, and Ben, I don't rightly know if he was trying to avoid getting shot of if one of them deputies hit him with one or two of those shots. I told them to stop shooting, but they didn't hear me right away."

Annie gasped then. She had never expected Adam to be shot while escaping and just knew that is what had happened. Now it was even more critical that Hoss get the message. Adam likely was going to need his help desperately.

"Ben, I gotta go after him. It's my job. Now I know we're gonna have a tough time finding him unless Hoss would be willing to track for us so we can catch up to him and get him back safely before those miners catch up to him."

"Get him back safely so he can hang? Roy, you know Hoss would never do that. Besides, Joe and Hoss haven't come back from looking for that prospector. I expect to see them sometime today. And what do you mean the miners catching up to him?"

"Well, I told them not to, but those miners got together their own posse and they're trying to find Adam too. Now none of them are much on horseback and certainly not any good tracking, but Ben, if they find him, I don't think they plan to bring him back."

"Roy, I don't know what to say. He isn't here, and I can't help you find him either, but, as God is my witness, I want him to be safe."

"Well, I gotta get on with my job. If I find out anything or if we find him, I'll send word."

"Thank you, Roy. I'll be here."

Shaken, Ben turned from the door as Roy left. Annie, Maggie, and Michele stood there next to Hop Sing. All were extremely worried. Annie had done as requested and wondered now if it had been enough. She had gone out late at night with Sport fully packed with things that Adam might need and had left the horse at the line shack closest to town. Adam intended to switch from whatever horse he could steal to Sport and then ride to the location that only Hoss knew. But if he was wounded, she worried if he could make the trek that far. Annie knew he meant to get across the California line so that the posse couldn't follow, but now there was a group of miners chasing him too who wouldn't stop at the border. She took Andrew back into the bedroom to see if he would sleep a bit more, and Hop Sing prepared breakfast as everyone dressed for the day.

Later at the breakfast table, no one wanted to ask Annie what she knew for if questioned, they would have to tell the truth. All they could do was offer prayers that Adam was safe and uninjured. That part of their wish was not true though. Adam had been hit as he rode away. The bullet was lodged in his back and had struck his left shoulder blade. He was bleeding a lot and when he released the stolen horse, he had seen that the saddle was wet with his blood. When he was at the line shack, he shoved some cloth inside the back of his shirt and pulled his jacket on to hold it tight to his back, but he had no time to rest. He immediately rode west heading for the high country. The pain was excruciating as every step of the horse jarred his shoulder blade that was cracked if not broken. His life depended on making steady progress so he kept going all day and well into the night. He had to stop to rest. He had far outdistanced the posse that had no real idea where he was going, but he still had many miles to go to reach his planned hideout. He could only hope that Hoss would be there before he lost too much blood or developed a severe infection. He ground tied Sport and rested against a rock until there was enough light in the early morning to continue his flight. Later that day, the posse found the blood on the rock where he had rested.

"Sheriff Coffee, he's headed to California, and as dry as this blood is, he's well ahead of us. We'll never catch him up here."

"Clem, I think you're right. Let's head back to town. No need to keep going on a fool's errand." Roy turned his horse back toward Virginia City, and sent a silent prayer up that Adam would survive the climb into those mountains. It looked like some bad weather coming in too, so any tracks would soon be lost, but that also meant to him that Adam's odds of making it had gotten worse.

Miles ahead and nearing the California border, Adam wasn't sure he was going to make it to his destination. The air was cold but everything seemed to be shimmering like desert mirages. He knew his vision had been affected by his fever and hoped he would find the tunnel with all the problems he was having. He was swaying in the saddle and hanging on to the saddle horn to keep his seat. Pain made him sit stiffly which didn't help at all. When he finally saw the brush that covered the mouth of the tunnel entrance, he almost cried with relief. Sport had been here before and knew the way so he had to just point him in the right direction. Rain drops had been hitting them for the previous hour and it would soon be a deluge by the looks of the clouds. He hoped to be inside before it got that bad. He was still lucid enough to know that the rain would obliterate his tracks, and no one would be able to follow him.

Behind Adam and still on his trail, the miners knew it too. They had followed the posse at a distance because no one among the miners could track very well. When the posse turned back and the miners saw the rock with all the blood dried on it, they thought they must be close, but with the rain, it had become a hopeless quest. As soon as the rain began falling heavily, they gave up and turned their horses back toward town. For Dolan, it was the best decision they could make. He couldn't join Roy's posse and risk being recognized so in his nondescript clothing, he had claimed to be a miner and headed out with the miners who wanted revenge. Now those men who were mostly inept with a gun were turning back and Dolan was close to his quarry. He wasn't too worried about the rain. It would wipe out tracks but to him it was clear that Cartwright was heading toward California. If he followed that route, Dolan would likely pick up Adam's tracks again and perhaps even sight him up ahead. Bleeding that much, Dolan assumed he couldn't be traveling fast and would likely be fighting infection and fever as well. He smiled thinking this part of his job was nearly done. He had his slicker on and looked for a stand of trees for some shelter.

In the tunnel, Adam had unsaddled Sport although it took almost the last of his strength to do it. The cave or tunnel opened into a closed canyon on the other end. There was grass and water there. For now, both of them stayed inside where it was dry. Adam pulled out his bedroll and sank down on it gratefully pulling a blanket over himself and sending up a prayer that Hoss might be there before it was too late.

On the Ponderosa, Hoss was already headed toward him as fast as he could go. He knew the shortest route to Adam's destination. The two of them had found the tunnel during a hunting trip. It had appeared that even the Native American peoples had never seen it for there was no sign of human habitation. Brush nearly covered the entrance and the opening to the tunnel was small. Inside it was wide and the rock was solid. As soon as Annie gave him Adam's message that he was going to go to a hole in the wall, Hoss had known where he was headed. Now heading cross country, he hoped to be there by nightfall. Adam had already spent one night out in the elements, and Hoss was afraid because Roy had told his family that he didn't know if his deputies had hit Adam with one or more of their shots. The way Adam's luck had been running, Hoss was worried that it was the worst case scenario. He had everything along to take care of him as long as he was still alive. Hop Sing had seen to that having a bag packed with essentials before he and Joe had returned empty handed from their search for the old prospector. He had food, clothing, and money for his brother. He prayed as he rode. When the rain started to fall heavily, he kept riding. He knew this country well and rain wasn't going to slow him down unless it got so heavy he couldn't see. Just before sundown, the rain let up. Hoss guessed he was no more than two miles from his destination. He smelled whiffs of wood smoke and wondered who else could be up here so high in the mountains, but he didn't have time to search out the camp. He needed to get to Adam and when he did, he was shocked. Adam was laying on his bedroll shivering with his face shiny with sweat. He heard Hoss enter and forced a small smile. Hoss knelt at his side knowing he had correctly anticipated the trouble they would be in. Adam had a bullet in him that had to come out and was already suffering from a high fever that was probably the result of infection. He pulled out the bag Hop Sing had given him, started a small fire to heat water, and prepared to do what had to be done.

Up on a hill only a half-mile away, Dolan sat on his horse and waited. For him, it had been the best of luck to see Hoss Cartwright ride through the terrain and head into the side of the mountain. Dolan knew then that he would never have seen that entrance and would likely have passed right on by on his way to California. Instead, he now had Adam trapped, and only needed to come up with a plan to kill him, and as a bonus, kill his brother Hoss too.

Chapter 6

"Oh, Lordy, Adam, this is gonna be a mess. You bite down hard on that piece of leather cause I gotta pry that bullet loose, and I know it's gonna hurt something fierce."

Hoss had removed Adam's jacket, shirt, and the wad of cloth soaked with his blood. He had probed into the wound causing Adam to writhe in pain and groan even though Hoss knew he was holding back as much as he could. Then when Hoss had opened the wound enough to find the bullet, he realized it was stuck in the bone so it was no wonder that Adam was suffering so. Hoss wished he had some other tool but all he had was a knife so he would have to pry the bullet loose instead of pulling it out. He put his knee on Adam's lower back and his left arm across Adam's shoulders. Pressing him down into the bedroll, Hoss began the task of removing the bullet and didn't stop even as Adam spit out the piece of leather and screamed and yelled for him to do just that. Hoss had sweat running down his face and into his eyes but he couldn't stop. He didn't know if he had the courage to do this again. It had to work this first time.

Finally Hoss had the bullet out and pulled away from his brother to wash his hands and get some clean cloth to press against the wound. Adam was making almost a whimpering sound as the waves of pain washed over him. Hoss wished that he had brought some laudanum, but they had not had any to send. To stop the bleeding, he pressed the wad of cloth down on the wound causing Adam to jerk and groan again. Finally and mercifully, Adam lost consciousness from the pain, the blood loss, and the exhaustion. Hoss rather wished he could join him in that state for he now understood the agony that Adam had suffered when he had to remove that bullet in Joe after accidentally shooting him. Hoss' hands were shaking even though he had them pressed to the wad of cloth over the wound. It took a long time for his heartbeat to slow down. For a long time it seemed, he had trouble breathing and felt lightheaded. Gradually Hoss felt close to normal again, but he didn't think that this memory could ever be buried deep enough. Once the bleeding slowed sufficiently, Hoss tied a bandage around Adam's chest and shoulder to hold the wad of cloth in place over the wound. Then he did his best to clean Adam up and sponge him with cloths soaked in cool water. The next day would be crucial in fighting the infection and the fever. He had plenty of food along and began cooking up some beef to make a thick broth just the way Hop Sing had instructed him. Somehow Hop Sing had sensed that all of the things he sent would be needed. Hoss didn't know how he always knew these things but was so grateful he had.

Once Adam seemed to be resting comfortably, Hoss saw to the horses letting them roam free in the little enclosed canyon. He filled the canteen and the coffee pot with cool water and headed back into the tunnel. He sensed something wasn't right almost immediately, and when he heard a pistol cock, he knew what it was. They were no longer alone.

"I should just shoot both of you and be done with it, but I'm kinda hungry so you get a few more minutes. Set that down by the fire and put your pistol down when you do it. Now move back and sit against the wall." Dolan had watched from the tunnel entrance, and Hoss had been so engrossed in what he had to do that his senses had failed him.

"As long as you're eating our food, maybe you could tell me what this is all about. You must have been the one to frame Adam, but why? Is revenge so important to you that you would risk your life coming back here?"

"You talk a lot, big man, but as long as I'm eating your food, I got time to tell you. Daniel Lash hired me. He holds a lot against the Cartwrights, but he has bigger plans for the Ponderosa and the railroads. He means to put a line right through the ranch and haul all that timber to California. He'll use hydraulic mining on the slopes then and free up all that gold and silver you Cartwrights have been sitting on. Now I was supposed to get rid of him first as a warning, but Lash and the others will hardly object to another Cartwright getting removed. Then I'll shoot your pappy and your pretty little wife. She won't be happy anyway when she realizes you're dead." Dolan's overconfidence and his desire to erase his humiliation from his earlier encounters with the Cartwrights caused him to talk too much.

With what Dolan had said so far, Hoss wanted to jump up and throttle Dolan, but he had to keep a lid on his temper. He had seen Adam open his eyes and blink in a rhythm at him. He knew Adam intended to do something, and Hoss had to be ready so he continued engaging Dolan in conversation. Dolan had not realized yet that Adam was awake for he was facing Hoss and not Dolan. "Who are the others?"

"Well the most obvious, wouldn't you think? I would have thought you would have worked that out by now: his partners in the railroad and his sons although Lash is the power behind all of them. They controlled everyone else in that syndicate. They're the real bosses. Everyone else was told what to do."

"Why come after us now?"

"Well all that trouble you made along with that pretty wife of yours has forced them to scale back their plans for now so they decided to take the Ponderosa first and use those resources to rebuild. They know they got a traitor in their organization too, and they're trying to flush him out. Different people have been getting different information. When the government makes a move based on the information they get, then they'll know who the government plant is. Now enough talk."

Dolan raised his arm to fire at Hoss but Adam suddenly jerked his body kicking his legs through the fire and showering sparks, ash, and hot water on Dolan. It was all that Hoss needed to get his pistol and fire. Dolan wouldn't be making threats ever again. As soon as Hoss determined that Dolan was dead, he tended to Adam despite the ringing in his ears.

"Now look what ya done. You tore open that wound again and got ya some burns on your leg. Now what am I gonna do with you. You're just the most difficult patient I ever had." Hoss had a light teasing tone in his voice as he slowly slid Adam back on his bedroll and then redid the bandage on his back. He cleaned the slight burns on Adam's leg and put salve on them. "There now, those ain't gonna hurt you no more than a bit of sunburn. You just had to do it, now, didn't you? I come all the way here to save your life, and you gotta turn right around and save mine. You can never let me be the one in charge, now can ya?"

Grimacing with the pain, Adam couldn't say much but grabbed Hoss' hand and squeezed.

"I know. I was just teasing ya a bit. Pa always said that ifn there was humor, then the person was gonna get better cause nobody would joke ifn a man was dying."

Squeezing Hoss' hand once more, Adam let him know how much he was appreciated.

"Now if you're gonna be all right for a bit, I got some trash to move outta here."

Adam held onto his hand and tried to talk so Hoss leaned close to hear what he had to say. "Put him in my shirt and jacket. By the time somebody finds him, they might think it's me."

"You're always thinking, aren't ya? I'll drag him far enough away so critters aren't drawn to us here and put him closer to the road. Somebody might see some buzzards and check to see what they're interested in. I'll be back in a bit. You just rest easy now." Hoss pulled Dolan's shirt off of him and threw it in the fire. Then he grabbed Adam's bloody shirt and his jacket quickly putting them on Dolan's body before dragging him from the tunnel. About a half hour later, Hoss was back. "Now I think I was getting you some lunch when this all happened. I need to go get some water again. You keep this pistol with you. Anybody coming in that opening is not probably a friend of ours."

There were no more visitors. Hoss was relieved that Adam was able to eat some thick broth and then sleep. His fever was still there but didn't seem to be getting any worse. People with wounds just naturally had some fever so Hoss hoped that's all it was, and that removing the bullet and cleaning out the wound had taken care of the infection issue.

In Virginia City, Annie had gone into town with Ben. She met with the attorneys and began liquidating many of Adam's investments as he had instructed her. Roy came to the lawyers' office to tell them the bad news. Adam had been sentenced in absentia and the sentence was hanging. His escape had pushed the judge to handing down the harshest sentence for he no longer thought that Adam was innocent, and he had also authorized a reward for Adam's capture. Roy expressed those doubts and never got to say anything more as Annie unleashed her temper on him.

"You've known Adam since he was a boy. I've only known him a few years, but I know he could never have done such a thing, and you ought to know it too or don't call him your friend. He's out there now as a hunted man because you and the law failed him. He hasn't hurt anyone. He took a horse but released it so he's not even guilty of that. You can tell that judge to go to hell. Adam will never return here to be hanged for something he didn't do. I'll be leaving here too as soon as I can get the money together to do that."

It was the first that Ben had heard that Annie and Andrew would be leaving. He was shocked but guessed he shouldn't have been. If Adam left, Annie was going to follow, and she would never leave her son behind. He hoped to convince her not to leave too soon, but had no doubt that she and Adam had worked this all out before he left. Adam had left a coded message for Hoss as well. The three of them were in the middle of this, but Annie could not be forced to testify against her husband. Hoss could be in a lot of trouble though when he got back if they could prove that he had helped Adam. After Roy left, Ben sat back and watched Annie. He remembered when he had first met her. She had been quite a feisty woman and that's what had seemed to attract Adam more than anything. Now she had that look again with her chin in the air almost daring anyone to say anything. As soon as they left the lawyers' offices, Annie asked Ben to help her get accounts set up at the bank so that money could be transferred to San Francisco or any other major city. As they drove back to the ranch, Annie told Ben that she was going to visit friends of Adam in Stockton, California, and if the case wasn't resolved, she would continue on to San Francisco to take a ship to meet Adam.

"Where will you meet him?"

"Papa, I'm sorry, but I can't tell you. It's the same reason that Adam didn't tell you anything. If you're questioned, you would have to tell the truth or end up in jail. I'm the only one who knows. Hoss doesn't know anything either except when I told him the location that Adam was going to use to hide out for a bit. I'll be in California trying to contact people to help him. He'll be in California too at some point somewhere but I won't tell you these things, and I hope you understand."

"I do understand, but I'm not comfortable with Adam ignoring the law like this. He lectured me on more than one occasion in the past to go to the law and trust it, but he isn't doing that now, and it's convincing a lot of people that he's guilty."

"Would you rather see your son hang for his principles? He knows that sometimes the law is only as good as the men who make it, and in this case, it's rotten at the core, and you know it."

"Don't get me wrong, I understand why he's done what he's done. I just wish there was another way."

That evening, Annie informed the family that she would be leaving by the end of the following week. She went to her home to start packing what she wanted to take with her and what she would ship. The rest could stay. She told Maggie that if she and Adam were not back in a few months, she and Hoss should move into the house that Adam had built.

"Oh, Annie, we couldn't do that. It would be like saying that you and Adam were never coming back."

"Maggie, it is, but if this isn't settled, we won't be back. We have plans to keep our family safe, and if the law here can't do it, then we're going somewhere else."

"You're planning to leave the country, aren't you? No, no, don't tell me. Deniability is important in situations like this. If I don't know, I can't tell anyone. But Annie, know that my thoughts and prayers are with you and Adam wherever you go."

Annie and Maggie hugged, but Annie was very worried. Hoss wasn't back, and he had gone because they thought Adam might be hurt. The longer it took for Hoss to get back, the more she thought it likely that one of those bullets had found its mark. She knew that sleeping was going to be a difficult thing. Andrew was already out of sorts sensing how unhappy she was. She knew that things were likely to get even more difficult before they got better. After three more days of waiting like that, she thought she would ride out herself to go to Adam except she had no idea where this hiding place of his was. Instead she went to town to send the messages Adam had told her to send when she was ready to travel. She bought stagecoach tickets and arranged for some freight to be shipped when she called for it. Roy came over to the telegraph office after Annie left.

"Where is she sending messages?"

"Now Roy those are private."

"And I'm the sheriff and I'm looking for her husband. Where did she send the messages?"

"Stockton, California. To a family named Blake there. She told them she was coming and needed help."

Chapter 7

There were three words that Annie hated to say and she would have to use them now. Slowly, Annie began sharing her immediate plans with her family. She knew that Roy probably knew she was going to the Blake ranch near Stockton. Adam had met Dave Blake years earlier, and they shared a lot of interests. He had not seen him recently, but both had pledged to help the other if it was ever needed. Now Annie would have to say goodbye. She would have to say that someday she still had hope that they would be able to return. But she also had to admit that it might be impossible unless things started to change rather dramatically. Goodbye, hope, and impossible were three words that sounded depressing to Annie's way of thinking.

"I'll go with you, Annie. No doubt Hoss is taking care of Adam, so it's only right that I help you. Adam would never forgive me if anything happened to you." Joe's tone of voice and look did not allow for Annie to say no so she nodded yes and frankly was grateful not to have to do this alone. If it was just her, she would not have been worried, but with Andrew, she was much more concerned. Jeremy had already said he would help if he could, but Joe was definitely better with a gun and more suspicious by nature. He would make a better traveling companion than her brother.

"Thank you, Joe. You're a wonderful brother. We'll be leaving in a few days whether Hoss is back or not. Is that all right with you?"

"I'll follow your lead. I know you can't tell me anything, but all you have to do is ask, and I'll do what needs to be done. Adam and I butted heads on more than one occasion, but I love my brother as much as anyone can, and I'll do what it takes to keep you and him safe."

Several days later, Annie and Joe packed up for travel. Ben didn't ask anything about her specific plans for he knew Annie wouldn't tell him anything anyway, but he was very worried. Hoss was still not back although, as Annie had pointed out, that was kind of news of a sort. If anything really tragic had happened, Hoss would be back, and if it was minor, Hoss would be back. So the conclusion was that it was serious but Hoss could take care of it. They all prayed that was the case. They were exactly correct of course but had no way of knowing that.

In the tunnel where Hoss had cared for Adam for days, the two brothers were parting company. Adam could take care of his basic needs, and if no one had found the tunnel by now, they weren't looking any more. Adam planned to spend another week there and then head to California to see Annie if he could and to find out more about the conspiracy against them. Hoss had advised Adam to lay low and let the investigation proceed, but Adam was too worried about Annie's safety at that point.

"You take care, now, and don't try to ride out of here until that week is up. If there's anything you should know, I'll find my way back here without being followed. Now are you sure there's nothing you need right now?"

"I'm past the stage for needing laudanum, there's enough food, and Sport is happy in his private pasture. I'll be fine."

Reaching out, Hoss enveloped Adam in a big hug. He wasn't sure when or if he would ever see him again the way things had been going and had to do it even if it made Adam uncomfortable. Having drawn the same conclusions, Adam hugged back however even if it was limited by his injury. Then they said goodbye, and Hoss headed for home.

Hoss ended up going by a circuitous route though. Almost halfway home, he spotted a miner's camp on the Ponderosa and what looked like a primitive sluice box. He headed there to run the prospector off the land and was amazed to see a buffalo robe piled on top of supplies. He got down from his horse and walked to the stream where the sounds of rushing water had covered his approach.

"Old timer, I'm glad to see ya."

"What? What! Oh, gosh, I was afraid you was one of them Cartwrights. One of em already done run me off of the Ponderosa, but you know they got a lot of gold here, and I just want a little of it. Didn't find any yet, but, but I know I will."

"Yessiree, you will find most certainly find some gold. Ifn you ride back into Virginia City with me and tell the Sheriff about that Cartwright running you off the ranch, then I will make sure you get yourself a good handful of gold coins."

"Why, why would I want to do that? And, and why would you give me money for telling the sheriff I was trespassing? Not, not that I want to do that of course."

"Because the Cartwright that run you off the ranch is my brother, and he needs you to tell people where he was on that afternoon. Don't you worry none about the trespassing. That's all forgiven, then and now."

"Then, then you must be one of them Cartwrights. Why, why should I trust you?"

"Have I done anything threatening to ya? My brother is in a lot of trouble and you could help a lot. Now you coming along peacefully, or do I have to tie you down on the back of your mule?"

"I'm, I'm coming. I don't want no trouble now, no trouble. I'll go with you, I will, I will."

By the afternoon, Hoss and the old prospector were in town, and the old man gave his story to Sheriff Coffee and then repeated it in front of the judge.

"There, ya said you needed an alibi witness for Adam, and there he is. Now can we get all this foolishness about my brother taken care of?"

"It's not enough." The judge actually looked disappointed when he said it for he was.

"What do you mean it's not enough? He done told you that Adam was on the Ponderosa that afternoon. Now my brother is capable of a lot of amazing things but he can't be in two places at once."

"Mr. Cartwright, it would have probably helped your brother's case with the jury, but for me, I have six members of the Davis family who say it was Adam, and one man here, with less than a healthy respect for the law apparently, who claims he saw Adam that afternoon. The preponderance of the evidence still supports the conviction. I cannot overturn it simply on this man's word."

"Adam is right. He said the law in this case is rotten, and he didn't have no choice but to escape. Ifn he hadn't, I woulda helped him because there ain't nobody here it seems who's willing to help us."

"Now, Mr. Cartwright, I have no doubt that you have been with your brother since he escaped, but please for your sake, don't say any more and implicate yourself in the aiding of a fugitive. I would very much hate having to put you in jail too."

"You don't know nothing. I coulda been out looking for this old prospector this whole time, unless you want to railroad me too like what happened to Adam."

"Mr. Cartwright, I am going to ignore that outburst and not cite you for contempt, but one more word, and I may not have any choice."

Seeing Hoss ready to say that word, Roy put a hand on his arm and one on his mouth. "Hoss, we can't help Adam if you're in jail. Your family doesn't need any more trouble either. Now let's go."

Outside, Hoss walked the old prospector to the bank and got him a handful of gold coins that he said he would get once he signed a written statement with the sheriff. The old prospector asked why, and Hoss told him they might need it in the future if they were able to get more evidence to support Adam's innocence. Within an hour, Hoss was headed home with a mixed bag of news.

About that time, the stage passed within a half mile of where Adam was hiding but neither Joe nor Annie knew that. Each of them was lost in their own worries as they sat on the bench seat with Andrew sleeping between them. Joe had his hand across the little boy's ankles as his head rested on Annie's lap and she gently stroked his hair. Joe mentioned that Andrew took after his father on that one because Adam liked to sleep on a stage journey too. Annie gave a wistful little smile and wondered when she would see Adam next. She couldn't even let the thought that they might never be together again enter her mind.

On the Ponderosa, Hoss got a mixed bag of greetings although everyone was happy to see him. Maggie wrapped her arms around him or as far as she could reach, and didn't want to let go. She had been worried about Hoss and the trouble he could get in, but at the same time, she wanted him to help Adam. Ben, Michele, and Hop Sing greeted Hoss with relief as well because they had been worrying about the brothers, but if Hoss was back safely then Adam had to be all right too.

"Maggie, Dolan is dead. He's the one who framed Adam but we didn't get enough from him to work on that judge. He did say that Daniel Lash is the head of the syndicate and that they're aiming to take the Ponderosa for the timber and gold to finance rebuilding their syndicate to what it was. Maggie, he also said they know they got a spy in their group and they've been feeding different information to different men. Once the government acts against them, they'll know who the spy is. It's gotta be the man who helped you and Adam before, ain't it?"

"Oh, my, Hoss, I have to get to town to send a message. Can you help me saddle a horse?"

"You sure you should be riding in your condition?"

"Hoss, it's only six months. I can ride yet." Seeing his worried look, she amended her statement. "I'll take the carriage if you prefer."

"Yes, and ifn you wait, I could go with you."

"No, you're tired enough. I'll ask Candy to go with me. We'll be back in time for dinner." With that, Maggie was on her way. Once she left, Ben looked at Hoss.

"I want to see Adam."

"Pa, you know I can't do that. If Roy was to ask you where he is, you'd tell him."

"I want to see my son, and Roy and the law be damned. Too much has happened in the name of the law, and my innocent son is a fugitive, and my grandson is gone, and I don't know when or if I will ever see him again. I want to see Adam. Michele and I have talked. There is a higher power we're going to be judged by, and He would understand." Sitting at Ben's side, Michele was quiet but kept a hand on Ben's shoulder in reassurance.

"All right, Pa, we can go tomorrow. Now, Roy and the judge know I've been with Adam even if they can't prove it. We'll have to be real careful so we ain't followed. You got a plan for that?"

"No, but I'll have a plan by morning. Now, I bet you would like to get something to eat. Tell me all about what you and Adam have done the last few days. I know Dolan is dead. Which one of you had to do that?"

"Pa, I shot him. He was gonna kill both of us. I put Adam's shirt on him and his jacket. Maybe by the time somebody finds him, they'll think it's Adam. It would take some of the pressure off Adam if they thought he was dead."

"How is he? Was he shot?"

Nodding and grimacing, Hoss recalled those painful minutes when he had made Adam suffer so much. Knowing it was necessary didn't help either. "Pa, I ain't done nothing harder than that in my life. I will never forget how he cried out when I had to pry that bullet out." Hoss shuddered remembering what he had to do. Ben put his hand on Hoss' shoulder to reassure him that he had only done what was necessary. "He begged me to stop and he was just squirming with the pain. I had to kneel on his back and lean on his shoulders. It was like torturing him." Reaching to rub his neck, Hoss continued. "Just talking about it makes the hairs on my neck stand up and sweat's running down my back." Getting his composure back, Hoss talked very matter-of-fact. "Lucky that deputy was a ways away when he shot, or Adam might have died. The bullet hit his shoulder blade and stuck. He lost a lot of blood and it hurt him something awful. But he's all right now."

"He's still hiding in the same place?"

"Yeah, Pa, we found it one year when we were hunting. We were pretty young then, and we swore to keep it as our secret hideout. We've been back there a few times hunting over the years. It's got a narrow opening with brush growing up right beside it and all around. Once you get inside it opens up like a big hall with a wide opening to its own private canyon with a pool right smack dab in the middle of it. Adam was always talking about the special rock formation that it was, but I don't remember those terms he used."

"I'm just so thankful that you're both safe for now. I worry about what's going to happen next though."

"Pa, I found the old prospector."

"Well, where is he? Did you send him to town to tell everyone that Adam is innocent?"

"Pa, I took him there, but the judge says it ain't enough cause there are six people in the Davis family who say they saw Adam there."

"Well, that's just ridiculous. They should know that Adam is innocent."

"I reckon maybe they do, but I can see the sense of what they're saying. Six against one isn't too good."

By dinner, Maggie and Candy were back. Maggie had sent a coded message so that the undercover man could be warned. Over dinner, Hoss told Maggie that he was taking his father to see Adam. "We need a plan though because I think Roy and the judge know I was with Adam. They might be watching to see if I head out again. If they follow us and get Adam, he'll hang."

Maggie looked at the men and knew. "It's a fairly simple idea. Have two men dress like you and ride your horses. Have them lead a pack animal and head out at an angle to the direction you're really going. Wait at least an hour, and then dress differently and riding other horses maybe with a couple of other riders for a bit, and then when you're sure you're not being followed, split off and ride."

"I get the disguise and the last part, but why have them ride away at an angle? Why not have them ride out the opposite way?"

"Because too many people do exactly that. If there's any hint that there might be a decoy, whoever is watching will go the opposite way of the decoys."

"Maggie, have I told you how amazing you are?"

"Hoss, I believe you have. Now would you like to take a walk in the garden?"

Ben and Michele had to smile for they knew that euphemism. Candy did a fine interpretation of an Adam smirk. They had all used that line at one time or another. At dawn the next morning, the subterfuge worked well. The two men Roy had sent to trail Hoss followed the decoys away from the ranch house. Just over an hour later, Hoss and Ben left although it hardly looked like them. They had borrowed clothing from men in the bunkhouse although Hoss had to wear one of his better shirts to get a color not usually associated with him. By midday they approached the tunnel where Adam was hiding. Hoss entered first and then Ben only to be met by Adam's voice from the dark recesses of the tunnel demanding they drop their weapons.

"Well, I would do that, son, if you thought it was necessary."

"Pa?"

As Adam had seen men entering the tunnel, he had quickly hidden himself in the dark area away from his campfire so he could see them clearly, but they wouldn't be able to see him. He did not recognize his father and Hoss until Ben spoke. Then it all made sense. They had worn disguises so they couldn't be trailed to him.

"Pa, I'm surprised to see you, but very glad you came."

"Adam, I didn't know when I would next see you. I had to come."

"And if Roy asks you where I am?"

"I'll tell him you're up in the mountains. He knows that already."

"How is everyone?"

But Ben knew that Adam really wanted to know about Annie and Andrew. Annie and Andrew headed out to Stockton yesterday. Joe went with them. He wanted to make sure they arrived safely."

Nodding, Adam smiled. "Please thank Joe for me when you see him. It may be a while before I see him. That was a wonderful thing for him to do."

"Your brother loves you very much, and we all love Annie and Andrew."

"I know, and thank you. I know how hard this has been on everyone. I wish there was another way, but frankly, I still haven't come up with a way out of this other than for the syndicate to be defeated. Pa, I think Annie and I will go away for a while until this is over. Who knows how long that will be, and I can't live in the wilderness until that happens. I want to be with my family."

"Son, I wish you could be with your whole family, but I know it isn't possible now. Where will you go?"

"For now, Pa, I'd like to keep that to myself. Annie and I will leave the country by different means and then we'll meet. When that happens, we'll make the rest of the plan. We have a few ideas in mind, but the safest seem to be going south. There are a lot of places we could go where they wouldn't care what my story was."

"I've been in Nicaragua. There are a lot of real pretty places south of here. Why not Mexico?"

"I'm assuming there are wanted posters on me. Bounty hunters follow fugitives into Mexico all the time. I wouldn't be safe there, and before you ask, not Canada because they would return me to the United States if they found out I was there. We have an extradition treaty with them."

"Will you write?"

"It's not a definite thing that we're leaving the country, but it is certainly an option we've discussed. If we have to leave, we'll write when we're settled and sure that we're safe. I have to make Annie and Andrew my top priorities now."

"I know you do, son, and I wouldn't expect anything else from you, but know that we'll be worrying here until we know you're safe. Every day has been difficult since you escaped from jail. That's only about a week and it was hard to endure. Now you're talking about being gone for months."

"Or years." Neither Hoss nor Ben had anything to say to that. They knew it was true but had hoped not to have to face that possibility.

"Are you staying tonight or heading back out?"

"Pa wants to stay, but I want to get back home. Ya don't mind, do ya?"

"Hoss, you did so much for me. Thank you. And you need to get home to your wife. She especially needs you close by now. With Pa and Joe gone, both Michele and Maggie would probably appreciate you being there."

So Hoss left, and Adam showed his father the enclosed canyon where the horses could graze and get water. Then the two of them cooked up some dinner and laid out their bedrolls. As they lay back relaxing after dinner, they got to talk about a lot of things.

Chapter 8

"Hope, goodbye, and impossible are the three words Annie said she never liked to use." Ben was lounging on his bed roll enjoying the opportunity to visit with Adam. When Adam was young, he was Ben's nearly constant companion. They had talked a lot. Then Marie had entered their lives, Adam had gone away to college, and Hoss and Joe grew to be men too. There were few opportunities for Ben and Adam to relax and talk. Once Adam married Annie, father and son had not had one extended conversation. Ben had a lot to say, and hoped that Adam would want to talk too for he wasn't sure how many chances if any there would be for them to do this.

"I understand the goodbye and impossible, but I wonder why she doesn't like hope."

"She said if you're hoping, then something bad has happened and you just thinking how good it would be if things were better."

"Well that makes perfect Annie-sense."

"Annie-sense?"

"She has a unique way of looking at the world sometimes. It isn't right or wrong; it's just different so I call it Annie-sense. For example, she liked me because we argued. Now to a lot of people, arguing would mean a couple didn't get along, but in Annie-sense, it means you care."

"So when the two of you argued so much about almost every little thing, she took that to mean that you liked her, and she argued back to let you know that she cared about you?"

"Yeah, that about sums it up. Annie-sense is a mystery in origin but really is logical even if it takes a bit of a leap of faith sometimes to accept it."

"A leap of faith?"

"Oh, yeah. She told me that by breaking out of jail after I was convicted should show people I was innocent. She said I stayed in jail because I assumed that as an innocent man I would be found not guilty, but when I was convicted, I had to escape because the system wasn't working properly so I had to get out to prove my innocence. She said that to let myself be hanged would be accepting that it was all right for the law to be wrong."

Watching Adam staring into the flames of the small fire, Ben knew who was at the center of Adam's thoughts at that moment. "You love her very much, don't you?"

"Pa, I never thought I would ever love anyone like I love her. I've opened my heart to her like no one else. She knows more about my weaknesses and doubts than anyone. She listens to me no matter what I have to say. I find it difficult to sleep when she isn't by my side. When I think of something interesting or see something that is beautiful or magical, I think of telling Annie. When I get an idea, and I'm not sure of myself, I want to tell Annie. I can't imagine life without her, and sometimes I find it difficult to even remember what it was like to live without her at my side."

"Adam, I loved your mother like that. She nurtured my dreams and hopes for the future cultivating, encouraging, and helping me to develop my confidence that I could do the things that were only thoughts and desires at the time."

"Did you love Inger and Marie the same way?"

"No, they were all very different types of women. Your mother was strong in intellect, confidence, and courage. She told me to let nothing ever stand in my way of reaching my goal. Now Inger was warmth, tenderness, and down to earth practicality. She taught me to appreciate those around me. I was a better father to my sons because of her. Marie was excitement and joy never letting anything important happen without an exuberant celebration. They all gave me so much especially my three sons."

"Pa, I don't know how you survived the loss of all three of the women you loved so much. Every time I think about losing Annie, I can't imagine how I could live without her."

"You would do it because Andrew would need you. He would be part of Annie that you would have forever."

"Or until he gets in trouble with the law and has to run away."

"Yes, there is that. Adam, I can only pray that the investigation doesn't take years. Can you wait a few months and give them time to finally bring this syndicate down? They have names now and they have evidence. I have to believe it can't take too much longer."

"The problem with that is that Annie is in danger too. They tried to make an example of me, and to get me out of the way. Pa, none of the family is safe. How will you protect them all and yourself too?"

"We are being careful. That's one of the reasons Joe traveled with Annie and Andrew. Hoss found that old prospector. We have his testimony now. If we can get just one more piece of evidence, your conviction will be overturned."

"Pa, the only other help for me are the Paiute I saw, but you know they will never accept the word of the Paiute against the word of six whites."

"Hoss said Dolan admitted some things before he was killed. Maggie sent that information off to her former boss. She thinks he will be able to move the investigation forward more rapidly because of it. We aren't sitting in as hopeless a situation as we were a week ago. Eventually Hoss and you too can testify to what Dolan said."

"Yes, but now tell me about my son and my wife. How have they been holding up with everything that has happened?"

So Ben told Adam everything he could remember about the family over the past week and how they had managed with all that had happened. Finally he asked Adam about his plans.

"I'm going to try to see Annie and Andrew in Stockton. Then I think I'll be heading south to find a place to lay low until this works itself out or doesn't. If not, Annie and I will rendezvous to decide what to do next."

The next day, Adam and Ben talked more and took the horses out for a ride in the hills. The day after, Ben and Adam hugged before separating as Adam headed through the mountains toward Stockton, and Ben headed back to the Ponderosa.

On the Blake Ranch, Annie and Andrew were saying goodbye to Joe who had escorted them to the ranch and had stayed over for a day to help them settle in and make sure they would be safe.

"Watch for Adam on the way back home. He said he would be heading this way as soon as he could."

Hearing the tremor in her voice, Joe tried to be reassuring. "He will be. If there had been anything too serious, we would have heard by now. I'm sure he's on his way."

Annie nodded even though she didn't feel that confident. Hugging Joe, tears formed but she did manage not to cry. Andrew waved as Joe rode out on a horse he had purchased from the Blake Ranch. Dave had a number of very fine horses and Joe had purchased one to add to the breeding stock of the Ponderosa. Dave had an old saddle he let Joe have, and told him if he saw his brother to tell him to hurry because his wife and son missed him terribly. Joe agreed to do that and then rode for home following a trail that he thought his brother might use if he was trying to avoid people. He made camp that night high in the hills with only peaceful night sounds around him. He woke later when a hand pressed down on his shoulder, but his heart rate stopped climbing when he heard that familiar baritone voice.

"Sorry, but I had to be sure who it was. You weren't riding Cochise so I waited until I could check things out."

"Damn, Adam, I wish you could have checked things out without nearly stopping my heart. Damn, it's good to see you though. Annie is very worried about you, and I'm glad to see you're all in one piece."

"I'm rather pleased with that myself. Annie settled in with the Blakes all right?"

"Definitely. They have a little boy too so Andrew is having fun having someone to play with. He waved goodbye when I left. He really is a tough little guy to handle all this so well."

"I wish he didn't have to, and I wish I hadn't put Annie through so much. I don't want her to ever regret marrying me, but this has got to be rough on her."

"The only rough part for Annie is that she's wondering where you are and if you're all right."

"I'm going to try to see her. I don't want to be too direct about it though and bring any attention to her there. I have to keep her safe."

"Do you want me to ride back there to tell her you're up here?"

"No, Joe, that's the kind of thing that would draw attention if anyone is watching. Thank you for all you've done. Pa told me you went with Annie, and I was relieved to know you were watching out for her."

"You finally got yourself married. I have to do everything I can to see you stay that way."

Adam grinned. "I'll get my horse and we can get some rest. We'll talk in the morning?"

"You bet. I have a lot of questions."

The next morning, Adam and Joe talked for quite a while. Adam explained things to about the same extent as he had done with Hoss and with their father. He was worried about telling his family members too much and putting them in a position where they might feel they had to lie. By mid-morning, the two brothers prepared to go their separate ways. Adam reached out to touch Joe on the shoulder and that was all it took to get Joe to grab Adam in a hug. Unashamedly Joe cried a few tears as he said goodbye. He was afraid in his heart that this might be the last time he ever saw his oldest brother.

"Joe, I'll be back. I can't say when, but I'll be back with my family when it's sage to return home."

"The Ponderosa is home then?"

"It always will be even when I'm not there."

The two brothers parted then and spent the rest of the day lost in thought as they rode. There was another homecoming on the Ponderosa. Martha returned and surprised her sister and Hoss.

"Why didn't you write that you were coming?"

Raising her right hand then, Martha showed them the cast. "I haven't been able to write a thing, and I couldn't even ride for a while. Finally the doctor gave me permission to travel and I came right here."

"Sis, what happened?" Hoss was as worried as Maggie.

"I went for a ride, and tried a jump I've done about a hundred times before. Something went wrong and I landed on my head and shoulder. Didn't know anything for a few days until my mind recovered from being scrambled a bit. My shoulder was so sore I couldn't move my arm at all which turned out to be a good thing because I broke bones in my hand, wrist, and forearm. When the swelling went down, they took the splints off and put on this cast. Then I could travel and I didn't waste any time getting here. I figured Joe would be upset. I got all of his letters in one day. Where is he anyhow?"

For the next hour or so, Hoss and Maggie began telling the story of what had happened since she had left. Michele and Ben sat by and added in details as everything was explained. Martha was in shock as she listened to the tale and heard what each of them had done.

"When do you expect Joe to get back?"

Everyone looked around wondering that themselves. Ben gave the only answer that anyone could. "Any day now, he should be back."

In two days, Ben was correct. Joe walked in the house and saw everyone sitting by the fireplace. "Hello everyone. I'm starved. I'll be out to talk as soon as I get something to eat." He turned to go to the kitchen to get a late dinner when he was shocked to meet Maggie coming out of the kitchen. "But Maggie, I just saw you sitting next to Hoss." Joe turned and was amazed when Martha stood up. She was wearing Maggie's robe.

"Aren't you even going to say hello to me?"

Seeing Martha there, Joe was shocked but then a huge grin emerged. Not only was he thrilled to see Martha, he had just gotten an idea. Martha spoke first.

"Joe, I thought you were ignoring me. My trunks haven't arrived yet so Maggie loaned me one of her robes. I'm sorry I didn't write, but I hurt my hand." Martha raised her right hand which was still heavily bandaged, but Joe seemed excited instead of concerned.

"Hoss, that's it! Damn, it was so obvious. It was right in front of us the whole time."

"Joseph, watch your language in front of the ladies!"

"Oh, Pa, sorry, but Pa. That's it. Don't you see? That's it. That's what we've been looking for all along."

The next afternoon, Joe had assembled the judge, the Davis family, the prosecutor, Roy, Adam's lawyers, and his family at the Davis home at the very spot where Buck Davis had been shot down in cold blood. He had assured all of them that he had someone important for them to talk to, and then he whistled and looked up the hill at the tree where the assassin had stood.

"That's him! That's Adam Cartwright." The oldest of the Davis children pointed.

Mrs. Davis gasped and put her hand to her mouth. "What is he doing here? What kind of game are you playing, Joe Cartwright?"

"No game, ma'am. This is too serious." He waved then and Clem walked out from under the tree. He was dressed in all black and was holding a set of spurs next to his rifle.

"Well you just wanted to trick us. We know now that it isn't Adam Cartwright, but what does that prove?"

"Well I wanted to see if you could tell the real Adam." Joe whistled again and another figure stepped out from behind the tree. The Davis family all looked very carefully at him, but Mrs. Davis said she didn't think that was Adam, so looking dejected, Joe signaled once more. When the third man stepped out to stand beside the tree, Mrs. Davis looked at Joe with a challenging look.

"There, now, that's him. You see, you couldn't fool us." All five children then agreed with their mother that the man up there was Adam Cartwright.

At Joe's signal, the man walked forward and pulled off his hat. It was Candy wearing Adam's clothing. Mrs. Davis whirled on Joe. "You tricked us. You told us that one of those men was Adam so we had to believe it was the third man."

"No, I just said I wanted you to see if you could tell which one was the real Adam. It's pretty clear to me that you can't. You saw the black clothes and hat and the general build and assumed it was Adam because of the fight, and your kids accepted your conclusion and saw what you saw. Except it wasn't my brother."

Judge Walker stepped forward at that point. "Well I said that one old prospector's claim wasn't enough to set aside the testimony of six people. I now withdraw that opinion. It is more than enough. I hereby set aside the jury verdict and declare Adam Cartwright innocent of the charge of murder in the case of Charles "Buck" Davis. I will have all the necessary papers drawn up as soon as I can get back to town. Sheriff, it's time for you to withdraw those wanted posters from circulation so Adam can come home."

Chapter 9

There was just darkness and silence. Adam listened for crickets or night birds and heard nothing. He wondered if it was possible that they had all sensed him and quieted or was there some other threat out there that he couldn't see? Carefully and quietly he approached the Blake house. When he neared the porch, he stood upright and walked into the light thrown by lanterns hanging in front of the house. He climbed the porch steps and knocked on the door seeing light in a room toward the back of the large home. Soon someone walking with a lamp approached the front door. Just as the door was opened, shots hit the porch exactly where Adam had been standing seconds before.

"Get inside quick, Adam. Hurry."

Shoving the door closed and dousing the lamp, Dave Blake pulled Adam to follow him. On reaching the kitchen, Dave told them to turn down the lamps and get low. He grabbed a pistol from his rig that was hanging on the wall next to the back door of the house. With Andrew huddled protectively in her arms, Annie slid over to Adam and quickly kissed him. "Cowboy, you sure do know how to make an entrance."

Leaning down, Adam kissed Annie in return and then kissed Andrew. "You two stay down and safe. I think I need to find out who tried to kill me out there a minute ago." Looking toward Dave who was crouched down by the kitchen door, Adam had to ask. "You ready to help me find out who's out there?" Dave had been in the Union Army following a stint as a Marshal. Better than most with a pistol, he had retired to this horse ranch when he married and had a son. He was very capable of handling this type of activity. The two of them cautiously exited the house and worked their way around to the front where they thought the gunmen might still be waiting. They were not disappointed. Gunfire erupted as soon as their furtive movements were noted. The men out there weren't nearly as experienced however. Dave or Adam would purposefully draw fire so that the other could fire where they saw the pistol or rifle flash. In just a few minutes, they had shot two of the would-be assassins. They heard one ride out.

"They just don't respect you, Adam. They only sent three to shoot you. You must be losing some of that intimidating reputation." Most of the sarcasm was lost on Adam who wanted to ride out after the third man. "Not even you can track a man in the dark. He's gone. Let's go inside so you can see your wife and son. I'll get my helper to keep watch. I'm surprised he isn't out here already." Dave soon found out that his stable hand had been locked in his room and couldn't get out. He was too large to fit through the small window in his room, and someone had stacked bales of hay against the door. The assassins must have suspected Adam would be here on this night and set a trap. It was only luck and timing that had made them fail in their task.

At the Lash mansion on the outskirts of Sacramento the next day, the one assassin who had escaped would meet the wrath of Daniel Lash. Lash had sent men to look for Dolan and to see if Adam Cartwright had been eliminated so they could move into step two of their plan. Instead the men found Dolan's body. There wasn't much left of it, and at first, they had thought it was Adam. He had what looked to be Adam's shirt and jacket. But they pulled the boot off what was left of his right leg and found four toes. They surmised that Adam had killed Dolan and dressed him in his own clothing to try to throw off pursuit. What he didn't know was that Dolan had lost a toe in the War and only had four left on his right foot. It was definitely Dolan so they had searched the area until they found the tunnel where Adam had been staying. He had recently left. When they reported all of that to Lash, he had sent three men to wait at the Blake ranch for he assumed Adam would go there. They had been watching Annie and had trailed her there. They would have followed Joe and killed him except Lash hadn't ordered that. They would have been sorely disappointed if they had known that Joe met Adam. They could have killed both if they had followed their inclination.

"Damn that Cartwright. He's like a blasted cat with nine lives. Now what do we do. They know we know where he is. I found out today from our men in Virginia City that the wanted posters on him are being withdrawn so we won't have any bounty hunters to help us out either."

"Mr. Lash, can I suggest something?"

"Go ahead and spit it out."

"Well, I was thinking that cause he shot and killed two of your men tonight, that you could get him charged with murder here in California. Put up a big reward so people will be climbing all over themselves trying to be the one to collect."

"You know no murder charge will stand up with Dave Blake as his alibi. They'll claim self defense, and any jury would accept it."

"Mr. Lash, you don't need to worry about it going to trial. If you put up say about ten thousand as a reward, dead or alive, he won't never make it to a jail even. Somebody is bound to shoot him for that kind of money. And it would all be legal."

"Ah I do like the sound of that plan. Get it done. We still own enough of that sheriff in Stockton for him to do this for us. If he loses his job over it, tell him we'll get him a new job. If he balks, remind him that his wife and children have no protection when he's at work. While you're at it, hire some men to replace the ones we lost. Get Darby to do it. He should be good at finding the kind of men we need."

Darby liked the assignment. He knew exactly whom he wanted to hire. It was all coming together now. Maggie's news had allowed him to avoid being detected and he managed to get another man blamed for being the government spy. Lash had that man killed and Darby had witnessed the whole thing as Lash's son shot the supposed spy in the head just after Lash ordered it. With the new hires, they would be ready to take Lash down. Darby didn't know about the plan for making Adam a highly sought after wanted man. If he had, he would have made his move sooner. As it was, it did goad him into the action that would finally bring down the head of the snake and finish the syndicate completely.

At the Blake Ranch, Adam spent a lot of time with Andrew who didn't want to move from Adam's lap once he was there. Adam had to lie down next to him when he went to bed so that he would sleep. As soon as Andrew's breathing became soft and regular, Adam slipped away from him to join Annie and the Blakes. He was leaning toward the plan that he had made with Annie for them to leave the country. Tonight's close call made both of them know they were under surveillance by the syndicate. They had to wonder how much longer their luck would hold, and now Dave could be in trouble for harboring a fugitive. They didn't know that Adam had been cleared of all charges in Virginia City. A telegram would arrive the next morning with that news but only after Adam had left and Annie was on her way to San Francisco. But then they found out very early that wanted posters were going up in California with a ten thousand dollar reward for Adam Cartwright, dead or alive.

Standing on the porch the next morning and drinking coffee, Adam and Dave received a copy of the wanted poster from Dave's stable man who had gone into town for supplies.

"Damn, Adam, they know those charges won't stick so they made the reward big enough to get somebody to kill you for it."

"Dave, can you get Annie and Andrew to San Francisco safely? She's not wanted so traveling with her would be legal for you."

"Of course I can do that. Then what?"

"Annie knows our plan. With these wanted posters, I need to get traveling fast. I'm going to have to say a quick goodbye which may upset her terribly, and Andrew is going to be tough to handle when he realizes I've abandoned him again."

"Adam, if you can keep yourself safe for just a while longer, I'm sure that the charges will be dropped. I can get lawyers working on it today."

"I've had lawyers working on it. All that got me was a death sentence. These wanted posters will just make it happen faster. Dave, I have to keep my family safe, and I need to do this. I know I'll be a fugitive, but we'll be safe. I can make a life for us elsewhere."

"You're leaving the country." It was a statement not a question and Adam said nothing more. He turned to go inside to say the gut wrenching goodbyes again. Then he mounted up and rode south. Dave had a pretty good idea where he was going, but he didn't ask. If questioned, he could truthfully state he that Adam didn't tell him where he was going. Within an hour, Annie had packed so Dave began the journey with her and Andrew to San Francisco. By the end of that week, Adam was in Mexico looking for a ship to take him to the Sandwich Islands, and Annie was boarding a ship in San Francisco harbor booked for the same destination. She had bank drafts with her and a fair amount of jewelry and cash. They would have plenty to start a new life somewhere. They would discuss the exact location when they had a chance to talk again.

There was one more crisis for Adam before he could leave. He had apparently been trailed from California. Luckily for him, the bounty hunter had not bribed the ship's captain and crew ahead of time and Adam had. Not only had he paid for his passage, he bought a large amount of alcohol for the captain to distribute once they reached the Sandwich Islands and paid the captain a handsome extra amount to make sure he got there safely. He told the captain that he would get a nice bonus too when Adam arrived in port. The captain had asked why he couldn't be paid in advance.

"Captain, the rest of my money is on its way to the Sandwich Islands already. By the time I get there, I hope it is safely stored in a bank. And sorry to say, sir, but I don't know you and an additional payment I hope is enough to get me there safely."

They shook hands on the deal, and the captain showed Adam to a cabin down below. It was cramped and none too clean but it would suffice. Fugitives seldom could be picky about their accommodations. When the bounty hunter attempted to come on board to take Adam into custody, the captain had him thrown into the harbor. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't swim and no one was in a mood to save him. The crew threw off the ropes, unfurled the sails when the breeze came up as expected later in the morning, and sailed out of the harbor with a nice wind pushing them at a reasonable speed. Within three weeks they sailed into Honolulu harbor. They had been detained by a storm that blew them south and had to tack into the wind to get to their destination.

With more favorable winds, Annie's ship had arrived a week earlier. On her arrival, she followed Adam's instructions and had their money safely stored. She rented a small home on the beach, and every day, she waited under the shade of a tree next to the harbor as Andrew played and napped. Luckily he was blessed with Adam's darker complexion and quickly tanned in the tropical sun. Each ship that entered the harbor caused her to stand and watch until every passenger had disembarked. Finally at the end of the week, she saw a disheveled man walk off a ship with the ship's captain. He was dirty, bearded, and dressed in gray shirt and pants, but she would know that walk anywhere. She grabbed Andrew's hand and began to hurry toward him. She saw the grin long before she reached them. She flew into Adam's arms after he stooped to pick up his son who wasn't so sure who it was until his father said his name. Adam kissed Annie, and then Andrew, and then Annie again. Then he turned to the captain.

"Annie, this is Captain Alvarez. He kept me safe and got me here. I promised him a bonus."

"Senor Cartwright, you have paid enough. Now that I see you with your family, I do not need that bonus. Perhaps up above, they will give me credit for this act, and forgive me for some of my sins. Good day, senor and senora, and best wishes for a safe journey."

Reaching out to grasp the captain's hand, Annie thanked him and said that they would be honored to host him at dinner that evening once Adam had a chance to clean up and get some better clothing. The captain agreed and then departed.

"So, sweetheart, where are we living at the moment?"

"Right this way. I have a romantic little cottage right on the beach. It's only two rooms and there are no windows, but then I didn't expect we would stay here long. I paid the rent for one month."

When they arrived, Adam was pleased with their temporary residence. He had expected something dark because Annie said it had no windows, but she was being literal. There were two large openings toward the ocean, and comfortable sleeping pads in one room and chairs and a table in the other. Annie smiled when she saw Adam's reaction.

"There aren't any mosquitoes here, and we face away from the direction of any storms blowing in. The overhangs protect us from any rainfall, and the morning sun will wake us."

"It's perfect. I am so glad to see you safely here. Now I want a bath and a shave. What kind of facilities are there for things like that?"

First grabbing a towel and telling Adam to grab his shaving kit, Annie led Adam a short distance from the cottage to a small pool fed by a tiny stream. He looked and she nodded. He slipped off his clothing and settled into the pool to wash. For the first time Annie saw the terrible scar on his back and knew how close she had come to losing him. She couldn't bear to look at it, so she went to the cottage to get a mirror, a bowl and a towel for Adam to use to shave. By the time she returned, she had regained her composure. She found Andrew was in the pool with Adam, and they were splashing water and laughing. Annie had to smile and then laugh too. For the first time in over a month, she felt they were safe and that they had a future together.

Chapter 10

"Pa! Pa, you gotta come hear the report Maggie just got. It's great news, Pa." Hoss got everyone's attention with that. He and Maggie had gone to town so that she could talk with Doctor Martin about some concerns with her pregnancy. While they were in town, they had stopped to get the mail and there had been a thick package for Maggie. Opening it, she found a report on the demise of the syndicate. The undercover man Darby had come forward when Lash was about to set in motion some assassinations. He had targeted Ben Cartwright among others now that Adam had slipped away from him. Darby had managed to get other government agents hired by the Lash syndicate so when Lash gave some orders that they could not legally follow, they had turned on him. As authorities moved on his mansion to arrest him, he had killed himself. His sons and other employees had tried to shoot it out but had died in the effort. The sheriff in Stockton had been among the others arrested as the final nail went in the coffin of the syndicate. All charges against Adam were dropped as information was produced showing he did not commit any crimes. All wanted posters had been called in. There would be a fear for some time that a poster was still out there, and that some bounty hunter would try to act on it though.

Sitting on the arm of the red leather chair that Ben favored, Michele put her hand on Ben's shoulder for she could see his eyes were shiny with tears. Joe and Hoss got a little choked up too seeing how their father had reacted. Adam was now safe from prosecution, but no one knew where he was. He didn't know that Martha was back and that Joe had asked her to marry him. She had agreed. Joe said he wanted to wait for Adam to be home for the wedding, but each day, they began to question whether or not he would be home. They planned to tell the family their news soon whether Adam was back or not. Everyone hoped that Adam and his family were all right, but they had no way to tell him that he could come home. He had fled to be safe and to keep his family safe, and all of them knew he had likely left the country. So for the family, the big question was where he was for they very much wanted to get in touch with him. Hoss decided they would share their other news as well.

"Pa, Michele, you know how concerned we all were with Maggie getting so large and still having more than two months to go? Well Doctor Martin gave us some good news too. We're gonna have twins."

That did lighten the mood and everyone congratulated Hoss and Maggie on the good news. Instead of fears that the baby would be very large making the delivery very difficult, there would be two deliveries. Joe and Martha looked at each other and looked at Ben who, although smiling, still had some sadness in his look. With a small smile and a nod, Martha gave Joe permission to tell them their news.

"Pa, because it's a time for celebration, Martha and I have some good news too. We decided on getting married. We want the wedding to be here in a month. It's gonna be a big party, and we wanted to have it when Maggie could still enjoy it."

That led to another round of congratulations, and it seemed Ben had shaken the sadness away, but brought it back on himself with his next statement. "Brothers marrying beautiful sisters and one of those sisters who will bring two grandchildren onto the Ponderosa in a couple of months. I have to say that a few years ago, I wondered if any of my sons would marry, and if I would ever have any grandchildren. Now I have all three sons married, a grandson, and two more grandchildren on the way. How could things be any better than this?" And then he stopped for all the worry and sadness because of Adam's flight came rushing back in on him. Everyone knew that no matter how happy they all were, there would be that concern and sadness until they knew that Adam and Annie were safe.

In Honolulu, Adam and Annie were making plans. They had decided that they would use the situation as an opportunity to travel. The biggest concern was extradition. They didn't know which countries in Europe would honor extradition for a murder charge. So they were thinking about China and Australia for an adventure.

"If we want to live in reasonable comfort, I would need to work or make investments with the money we have available. For a while, we might need to do both." Always practical, Adam realized that to live the way he wanted his family to live, he would need an income as well as the wealth they carried with them.

"So that would make Australia the more logical choice for us. I would like to see some of those animals that are described in the books. I find it hard to believe that there is a half mammal and half duck animal, or an animal with a pouch to carry its baby. It could be so much fun to show those animals to Andrew. He loves to wade in the surf here and see all the colorful fish swimming about. We saw a whole school of tiny bright blue fish yesterday. Australia could be a lot of fun."

"Yes, and we speak the language too. I'll make arrangements for travel if you agree that's the place for us to visit."

"Yes, and perhaps if we spend enough time there, the trouble at home will be resolved, and we can return."

"That's exactly what I was thinking. I've wanted to travel since I came home from college. This takes care of that and keeps me from having a choking sensation in my neck."

"Cowboy, I really don't need any more reminders of all of that. Perhaps we could pledge not to talk about that any more unless we need to?"

Nodding, Adam picked up his shirt and slipped it on. He had been going shirtless on the beach every day that they had been there. Annie didn't mind the view at all, and it was cooler to do that as well. They were doing a lot of swimming and had met some of the native people who invited the family to join them frequently when they found that Adam and Annie accepted them as equals. There weren't many whites who would do that and the natives found it refreshing to know that not all whites were so prejudiced.

The first week they had been on the island, Adam had penned a letter to his family to tell them that all three of them were together and safe. Now he planned to send a second letter telling them that they were going to travel and when he could, he said he would give them their location and an address for correspondence. Adam met with some of the people they had met in Honolulu and got information about Australia from some who did some trade with that continent. Within a week, he had booked passage to Australia and made arrangements to ship their possessions there as well as soon as the freight arrived from San Francisco. Almost a month to the day that Annie had first arrived in Honolulu, the family boarded a ship bound for Australia. Neither of Adam's letters had yet made it to the Ponderosa.

As the ship sailed out of the harbor, Adam stood at the rail with one arm around Annie and Andrew in his other arm. He finally had his dream of travel. He had seen parts of Mexico he had never before seen, he had lived on a beach in the Sandwich Islands for almost a month, and now was headed to Australia with all its exotic creatures. He should have been elated, but all he felt was sadness that he had torn his wife and son away from their only home because of his needs. He pledged to himself that he would do everything he could to make them happy. Annie could feel the tension in Adam and how stiffly he stood there beside her.

"It's not your fault. We're in this together, and lots of evil men made us have to make these decisions. Do not blame yourself. I'm looking forward to this adventure almost as much as you are I think, and Andrew is a happy boy. Just look at him. He has everything he wants right here now."

With a smile, Adam kissed her and then kissed his son. They spent most of the day on deck watching the islands shrink away behind them and then watched whales breaching in the afternoon when the ship came upon a pod of them. One large whale repeatedly struck his tail on the water creating huge splashes that they could still see long after they had passed by the whales. They had been fascinated by the sight. Andrew had wanted to go in the water with them not realizing how big they were nor how deep the water was. Living in a shallow lagoon had not prepared the toddler for the dangers of deep water. Adam and Annie knew they needed to keep close contact with him for the rest of the trip. Within a week that was primarily Adam's responsibility because Annie was sick almost all the time. They had run into a series of small storms, and apparently Annie was not well suited to riding a ship that pitched and yawed in the large storm waves. By the time they sailed into Sydney Harbor, Annie looked at Adam as they stood at the rail and made a declaration that surprised him.

"Well here's our new home."

"Annie, I thought this was temporary until we could go back to the Ponderosa?"

"I thought so too until that trip here. I will never get on a ship again, so we better get used to living here."

Adam smiled then but he wasn't at all sure how serious she was. Meeting them at the gangplank was an employment broker. He met all the ships coming in and tried to find people for jobs that were available. He asked Adam if he was interested in employment. When Adam replied positively, he asked him what he could do.

"Mining engineer or architect would be my first choices."

"Well, I'm afraid I don't have anyone looking to fill those jobs. Can you shoot? There's a job for a sharpshooter. If you can ride, there are a lot of jobs on stations here."

"I'd rather find some work in the city so I can stay close to my family and enjoy what the city has to offer."

"Well if you can do engineering and architecture, then I would assume you are well educated. I do have a job as a schoolteacher available. It would be teaching math to young gentlemen for the next two months until summer break."

Mentally adjusting to the idea that summer would be opposite what he was used to at home, Adam thought the job might be good until he could secure work he wanted to do. "If you give me your card, I'll give you an answer tomorrow. I would like to get my family settled first."

"Of course, of course. I'm sure the school would be happy to employ you. I will get the particulars of the job. Where will you be staying?"

"We hope to get some rooms at a hotel here. We have several recommendations from some people in Hawaii who have done business here."

"If you don't mind the advice, it would be cheaper to rent a small cottage on the outskirts of the city, and more comfortable for your wife and son too. If you walk up the street there about two blocks, there's an office with properties for sale and rent." Handing over his card, the broker moved on to talk to others who were disembarking.

Adam hired a hackney so that they could travel more comfortably and had all the luggage put in the back. They stopped at the office that had been recommended and made an appointment to look at several properties, some for sale and some for rent. Then they proceeded to a hotel that had been recommended and took a room there. The last thing that needed to be done was to go to a bank and set up some accounts. By the end of the day, they were tired but relaxed. Everything had gone well and the banker had made some suggestions as to investments. Adam was going to meet with a broker the next day as well. Everything seemed to be falling into place. When he wrote a letter to his father, he couldn't keep the excitement out of the letter. Within a week, he was penning another letter. It seemed that the sickness Annie experienced on the ship was not just the result of the wave action for she continued to be sick on land. A visit to the doctor confirmed what they had hoped. Annie was with child. Adam sent their address too for he was fairly confident that no one was going to come this far to get him and he had purchased a small home on the outskirts of Sydney and had accepted the job as a schoolteacher. He was to start the next day.

Chapter 11

"Nakes, Mama, nakes!" seemed to be a common cry Annie heard around the house. Adam had killed a snake in their yard. It had shaken all of them, but Andrew now saw snakes in every thing that moved in the grass. Adam had told him that the snakes were dangerous and could kill so that he must be very careful. It had caused him to fear going outside unless he was carried. For the time being, that was fine until they got used to the dangers of their new home, but Annie knew it bothered Adam to have his son so afraid. Annie had been terrified at first of the giant bats that flew about until she learned they ate fruit. There had even been an occasion where some had flown over their house at night and dropped fruit. The banging on the roof had frightened them too until the next morning when Adam had discovered the fruit remnants on the roof. He had laughed and said perhaps they ought to train the bat to bring fruit. They had not yet seen a platypus but people told them that the little creatures were elusive. All three of them had been fascinated the first time they saw kangaroos. They had been warned not to get too close as they could be dangerous. Koalas ambled about from gum tree to gum tree, and kookaburras were their friends they were told for they would kill and eat snakes.

Neighbors helped them learn about the animals that were a threat and warned them away from the beaches because of sharks. Swimming was done in small pools not in the beautiful waters of the large harbor. In return, Adam told tales of the American west with gunfighters and gangs that robbed banks and trains. He told them of the Paiute and Shoshoni as well as the cougars, grizzly bears, and antelope. Many nights were spent learning about Australia from their neighbors and sharing recipes. Once the two crates of their personal belongings arrived, their home felt more like home.

Each day it seemed that Annie's tummy bump grew larger. She still had about five months to go by her best guess, but Adam suggested that it might be four which would explain her being larger than she was with Andrew at about that same point in her pregnancy. She hoped it was true because as it had gotten warmer and warmer, she was more and more uncomfortable. Adam purchased an extra large tub.

"Is that because I'm so huge?"

"No, sweetheart, you are not huge, but more water will fit in here and you can lounge longer to get relief from the heat."

"And that's the only reason you got it extra big?"

"Well I did think that if you wanted to invite me in some evening, that there would be enough room for me and perhaps enough room for some pleasurable activities."

Smiling, Annie leaned back in her chair. "I'm glad we have a house on the outskirts. The breezes up here help too."

"Yes, it can get beastly hot in that school, and I have to wear that darn suit and the tie tied tight up against my neck. But at least we have income right away even if it isn't much. Over the summer, I want to travel a bit and see if I can get some work as a mining engineer or as an architect."

"How far would you travel?"

"Only up to the blue mountains. That's the furthest I would go. They're developing some mines there, and I want to see what kind of terrain and rock they're working with."

Within two months, Adam had a couple of jobs consulting on mining projects as well as contracts to design two homes. It was freelance work, and at this point, he preferred that. He could spend more time with his family working at home, and he did not have to make any long term commitments. It also meant that he did not need to go back to the teaching job although they had asked him repeatedly if he would. Qualified instructors in math were difficult to find. Eventually he told the school headmaster that if he did not have enough work, he could help them out in the second term. He didn't ever go back to teaching much to the dismay of the school headmaster. His first two home designs were built and as the structures neared completion, there was a lot of interest in the style that Adam had developed. It was a combination of things he knew from studying architecture adjusted for the climate and environment of Sydney. Soon he had all the work he wanted designing homes and some public buildings. He continued consulting on mining projects, and their bank balances grew exponentially it seemed with the investments he had made as well. Annie was able to hire a woman to help her with the cooking and laundry as her delivery date neared.

When Annie woke Adam to let him know it was time for their second child to be born, he was more calm than he had been with Andrew. Both of them missed not having family there for support but friends helped out. By late that day, Adam heard a baby's cry from the bedroom and waited anxiously until the doctor stepped out to tell him he had a daughter. Adam scooped Andrew up in his arms.

"Mama had a little girl. You have a sister now. Do you want to go see her?"

Not waiting for an answer, Adam carried Andrew into the bedroom to find an exhausted Annie holding their daughter. She smiled at Adam and asked him to take his daughter.

"Annie, are we agreed on the name now?"

They had had a number of discussions about the name. Adam wanted to call her Hope but Annie had pushed for Elizabeth or Ingrid. She just didn't like the name Hope. Finally Adam looked at her and asked. "Why not Hope?"

"Hope is something you want but don't have. I want something more solid for her name. Something that says she's ours and precious to us."

"How about Joanna, gift from God. Joanna Hope Cartwright?"

"Yes, I like that."

So Andrew got his sister Joanna. He wondered why she was so small and was shocked to see how his mother fed her. Adam told him he had done the same, but Andrew said that couldn't be true. He ate from a plate and knew how to use a fork and a spoon. Annie laughed and told Adam he was going to have fun explaining the facts of life to Andrew when he was older.

Adam penned another letter to his family wondering why they had not heard anything yet. He began to worry that something worse had happened. Two months later he finally got a letter in answer to his second letter home. He assumed the family was probably getting his third letter about the same time. He waited until he reached his home before he slit the thick letter open and read it out loud to Annie as she nursed the baby. Andrew was napping in his room. When he finished reading, both of them were amazed at all the news. Hoss and Maggie had twin girls, all the charges against Adam had been dropped and he was exonerated, and Joe had married Martha. Adam looked at Annie expecting a smile but saw only her frown.

"What's wrong? That's all good news."

"Yes, it is, but Adam, we've made commitments here, and Joanna is only two months old. It's too soon for her to travel, and now that we know more about sailing out here, we know we shouldn't travel from August through January because of all the storms. We need to wait almost a year before we can seriously consider going home."

With all the work Adam was doing with the upper echelon of Sydney society, he and Annie were being invited to parties frequently. There was also a rich cultural life in the city that they enjoyed. Andrew made friends with neighbor children who often came to the house to play. They were almost too busy to be homesick. As Adam's wealth grew, he hired a man to watch over his family and work as a caretaker of the grounds. They now had two people dependent on them for their livelihood. Fully immersed in Australian life, they seldom thought of home. Letters began to be exchanged on a more regular basis with Nevada until after nearly two years had passed, and they got a letter that changed everything.

"When will you come home?"

Adam stared at the words at the end of his father's letter. All the hope and longing of a father to see his son came through in that simple sentence. Annie walked up behind Adam and placed her hands on his shoulders as he sat lost in that thought.

"What did your father say that has you so pensive?"

"Been using the dictionary to look up words to use again?"

"Don't do that. I'm serious so don't try to distract me. What did your father say?"

"He wants to know when we'll come home."

"This is a lovely place to live. Our children are so happy here, and our new one will love it too." Adam turned and placed his head against the small bump that was just starting to show on his wife. He caressed her stomach. They had begun their marriage thinking they would never be blessed with children, and now the third was on its way. Annie stroked his hair and then rested her hand on the back of his neck. "But this will never feel like home to us when we have a home on the Ponderosa. If we're going, we should go soon. This one could be born at home."

Looking up at Annie, Adam could see how serious she was. "You want to go? Just like that, we pack up and head for the Ponderosa?"

"Can you give me one reason right now that we shouldn't?"

"The only one would be that when you stepped off the ship here, you said you would never get on one of them again."

"That's because I was with child and was sick every single day on board that blasted floating cork. But this time we can wait for the biggest fastest ship they have, and I'm past the morning sickness. Now is the time to go. How long would it take for you to wrap up your business concerns here?"

"So that's it? We've made up our minds?"

"Haven't we? We knew this day was coming. It's time."

Standing then, Adam pulled Annie into a tight embrace. "The children have just laid down for their naps. Perhaps we could go seal our pact with a kiss and maybe a bit more?"

"Oh, I'm thinking there's going to be a whole lot more. We better do as much as possible before we leave because your son is too inquisitive and curious for us to do much of anything on board a ship. I remember how close those quarters are."

Grinning, Adam scooped Annie up in his arms and carried her to their bedroom, where in fact, a lot more did happen. Although he did ask her why is was his son and not theirs whenever there was something she didn't like in his behavior.

"Oh, perhaps it's because that's when he reminds most of you."

"You are definitely pushing toward that spanking."

"Oh, you've been threatening that for years. I don't believe you'll ever do it."

"I'd do it right now except your tummy would make it too difficult to hold you over my knee."

"Oh really, that's the only thing stopping you?" And Annie had laughed as she did every time she was teasing him for she knew what was coming next. He would kiss her to stop her sass and then that always led to more.

Chapter 12

"Perhaps you should have written to your father that we were coming back. He might have wanted to get ready."

"Annie, the letter would have traveled with us on the ship, and then probably on the same conveyances as we have used to get here. Don't worry so much. We'll be there soon. It's going to be crowded there unless they've added on or Joe has his own home."

"We promised Andrew a new book, and both children need to be fed before we head out to the ranch. I could use a good meal myself."

So Adam walked his family to the mercantile where Andrew found a book he wanted, and Adam picked up a couple too. Then they headed to the International House for a meal. As they were finishing their meal, Annie gasped and pointed out the window. Hoss was climbing down from the buckboard in front of the mercantile. Adam stood so fast he almost knocked his chair back. He had tried to seem so calm about going home, but his action gave him away. Annie smiled as Adam rushed outside to hail Hoss who turned and ran across the street. Adam was worried about the big man slamming into him, but Hoss drew up right next to him and pulled him into a bear hug.

"Dadburnit, why didn't you let us know you was coming. I near had a heart attack when I saw you over here. Where's Annie and Andrew? I heard you got a little girl too so now where is she?"

Smiling, Adam hugged back before answering. "They're all inside. C'mon in and meet my daughter. She's going to love you. Andrew is a lot bigger now too. Thinks of himself as quite the mature older brother and tries to tell Joanna what to do."

"Sounds like you taught him to be just like you."

"Now you sound like Annie."

By then, they had reached the dining room, and Annie stood to get a hug from Hoss. She introduced him to Joanna who had a big grin for him. Then they turned to Andrew who was quietly observing the whole scene.

"You must be Andrew, but the last time I saw you, you was only about as tall as my knees and couldn't hardly walk by yourself. You've really grown up a lot."

"You're really big. Is Papa going to be as big as you when he grows up?"

Patting Adam's middle which had grown some from sitting at a desk and then more with the enforced idleness of an ocean voyage as a passenger, Hoss laughed. "Well he ain't never gonna be as tall as me, but ifn he keeps eating like that, he could be just as wide."

Right then and there Adam committed himself to losing those extra pounds and getting back into shape. He guessed there would be more physical activity for him here than he had usually experienced in Australia. By then Hoss' attention had shifted to Annie's sizable tummy bump.

"Annie, really? You wanted another one with this older brother of mine. I would think two of his would be enough to handle."

"But, Hoss, they could be more like me."

"Sis, I don't think that would make it any easier."

That made Adam laugh out loud as Annie gave him one of those looks that said she was going to get even somehow. He stifled the rest of the laughter but would remember that look on her face for a long time.

"You want to ride back with me? I got the two seater buckboard cause Candy was using the other one to repair some fences."

"We have a lot of luggage. Will you have room for everything?"

"I only got a short list from Hop Sing. I'm thinking I ought to add a bit more to it, but there should still be plenty of room. Where's your luggage?"

"At the station. We could take the wagon there to pick it all up when you're ready."

"I'll be ready soon as I have me some lunch." So Hoss sat with them and got the first stories about their adventures in the Sandwich Islands, in Australia, and on the voyages there and back. "Pa is gonna be so excited, and I know he'll want to hear all them stories too."

"How is he, Hoss? He sounded kinda sad in the last letter."

"He's been feeling a bit down lately. You coming back ought to help snap him out of it though. He's doing less on the ranch now, and I think it bothers him some, but when he tries to do more, he gets so sore he can hardly walk the next day. His back has gotten pretty stiff over the last couple of years. You know it wasn't so good even before you left. But having more grandchildren around and listening to your stories ought to perk him up some."

"I hope so although after a day or two, he might wish there weren't quite so many grandchildren running about. It's going to be a bit crowded in the house."

"No, it really ain't. Joe built himself and Martha a nice little cabin not too far from the main house. Pa invited Candy to move into the main house because there was so many empty rooms. Adam, you gonna want your house back real soon?"

"Not at all, Hoss. I have some ideas for a house and I need more room now especially with another one on the way. I also plan to continue doing architectural work so I'm going to need a good sized office in my house. No, if you and Maggie want to, you can keep the house. It's yours."

"Dang, that's just about perfect. Maggie really likes the house, and I do enjoy that indoor water closet. Makes it a lot easier with the girls too. Maybe you could put one in the main house for Pa and Michele. I'm sure they'd like that."

"If they want one, we can order the parts when I order for my house. I may order another of those oversize tubs too. I did miss that."

With Annie blushing a bit with that, Hoss guessed that they had used it like he and Maggie had used it on occasion. He didn't say any more about it not wanting to embarrass her. They finished lunch, and went to the wagon. Andrew wanted to know where the top of it was.

"Well, out here, we don't put tops on our wagons."

"What do you blokes do when it rains?"

"Blokes? Is that a good word or a bad one?"

Annie smiled. "Andrew is not allowed to use any bad words. That simply is a term for men. He's picked up a few Australian phrases. I'm sure you've noticed that he has a bit of an accent. Joanna has one too, but because she spent most of her time with me, she doesn't have much of an accent and none of the slang that Andrew learned when he traveled with his father."

"Oh. Andrew, we have slickers to wear, or we use a carriage with a top."

After picking up the luggage, Hoss turned the team toward home. Andrew sat beside him on the front bench, and Adam and Annie sat on the back bench with Joanna between them. Hoss took the long way home so they could see the lake view. It was nearly dinner time before they pulled up to the ranch house. Ben came walking out without taking a good look.

"It's about time you got back. Hop Sing has been complaining for ..." He stopped his speech and all movement as he stared.

"Hi, Pa. Sorry about no advance warning, but we traveled as fast as a letter would have."

Ben rushed forward as Adam climbed from the wagon. He shed tears unashamedly as he pulled his son into an embrace. "I have missed you so much. I didn't think it would be as difficult as it was. Every time someone asked about you, it hurt. Now you're here. Oh, you've made me so happy. And, Annie, I am so glad to see you. Oh, and this must be Andrew. I hardly recognize you, Andrew. You've grown so much. Is this Joanna? Pleased to meet you, my dear."

Seeing his father look quizzically at Annie's tummy bump, Adam nodded. "Yes, Pa, there's another one on the way. The doctors could not have been more wrong about Annie not having children. I'll help with the luggage if you'll take Annie and the children inside."

Smiling like he hadn't since Joe's marriage and the birth of the twins, Ben took Andrew's offered hand and led him into the house with Annie and Joanna following behind. Hoss and Adam heard the squeals of delight when Michele realized Annie was back. By the time they carried in the luggage, the two ladies were sitting together on the settee with Joanna as Andrew sat in the blue chair and looked around the room that he found vaguely familiar.

"Do you remember this room, Andrew?"

"I think I should. I don't know. It's very confusing."

Hearing Ben's question and Andrew's answer, Adam walked over, picked up his son, and sat down with Andrew in his lap. "You weren't even two years old when we left. So your mind might remember a bit, but not many people have clear memories of things that happened before they were two years old. You did sit in the chair that the two of us sat in all the time though."

A bit proud of himself for that one, Andrew sat up proudly until Hop Sing came out with cookies and milk. There were three glasses of milk, a big plate of cookies, and four cups of coffee. Hoss declined the coffee saying he better go get Maggie and the girls and that they would tell Joe and Martha too. Hop Sing was ready too.

"I make big dinner celebrate number one son come home. I make chicken and now make ham too. It be good welcome home dinner. You see."

It was a boisterous celebration when Maggie go there with the twins, and then Martha and Joe showed up too. There were so many stories to share, there wasn't time for all of them. Ben asked Joe to explain how they got Adam cleared in the Buck Davis shooting. Adam told Joe how impressed he was with his detective work. Then Adam explained how he had gotten to the Sandwich Islands and then how they got to Australia. Andrew piped in with his version of 'nakes' stories before Annie said it was time for the children to go to bed. She got them settled in upstairs in two of the guest rooms. She and Adam took a room between the two of them. Candy was using Hoss' old room so it worked out well. Candy had volunteered to move back to the bunkhouse but Adam said he would only be there temporarily which elicited a worried look from Ben.

"We're home, Pa, but we would like our own house. With another on the way and my architectural business, we're going to need more room."

"You designed this house. Why don't you redesign it and add on what you want. It's big enough and there's room for expansion. It's a lot of house for just Michele and me. Even with Candy staying here, it seems kind of empty."

Looking at Annie, Adam nodded. "We'll talk about it." That got a smile from Ben. Jeremy and his wife had the furthest to travel so they said their goodbyes first. The Joe and Martha left. Finally Hoss and Maggie left saying they had to get the twins to bed. Candy bid them goodnight saying he had an early morning coming up. It was much quieter with only Ben and Michele with Adam and Annie.

"You're not so sure you want to live in this house, are you?"

"Pa, it's not that. I need a big office, and Annie wants a water closet for us as well as one for the children to use. To do what would need doing, would mean that part of the roof would literally have to be raised, and part of the main wall of the house would have to be removed to make way for the expansion. The back staircase and the porch would be removed. It would be a huge inconvenience for everyone."

"I like the sound of it though." That statement by Ben shocked Adam and to a lesser extent surprised Annie. They weren't so used to Ben accepting change that quickly or easily. "Now don't look like that. I've had a couple of years to evaluate how I've handled things. I decided to make a few changes. Michele and I talked often of you and Annie returning. We didn't know there would be another baby but we knew you had two children. We correctly guessed that to get you to stay here would require expanding the house so you could have your privacy. We agreed we would make sure that happened. It does seem right that the eldest son live in the main house of the family ranch. When you're ready to raise the roof, I think I may take my wife on an extended and belated honeymoon. Those Sandwich Islands sound just about right. If we were gone a couple of months, would that be enough time to make the changes you need to make?"

Leaning over to look in Adam's face, Annie was hopeful. She saw the look of intense concentration and hoped it would lead to the answer she wanted to hear. Adam frowned at her and she sighed deeply in disappointment. After a few minutes of silence, he looked at his father. "I think that will work." Annie hit him in the shoulder then.

"You big lug. You made me suffer and you intended to say yes. You're going to be sorry you did that."

Adam laughed and said it was probably time they went to bed for their children were early risers. He stood and offered his hand to Annie who rebuffed him and headed for the stairs without him. He caught up and slapped her derriere. She turned quickly and saw that Ben and Michele had not seen that. She whispered a quick warning. "You're gonna get it when we get in the bedroom."

As they walked up the stairs, he answered her very quietly. "Sweetheart, that's what I've been hoping. It's the first time in nearly two months that we don't have our children sleeping in the same room with us."

"You're insatiable."

"That may be my middle name. Now let's get to bed. I have some exercising to do to get back into shape."

Chapter 13

The next morning, Adam and Annie lounged in bed for a while talking about the future until Adam said they needed to get down to breakfast so they wouldn't anger anyone. By the time they got to the table, Candy had eaten and left, and Ben and Michele were enjoying coffee.

"We went ahead with breakfast. We thought you might sleep in a bit after all that traveling. Hop Sing is keeping plates warm for you whenever you're ready." Ben was being very gracious and both Adam and Annie thanked him for his thoughtfulness.

Annie was surprised by one thing though. "Usually our children wake us up when we have a chance to sleep in, but I haven't heard a thing."

Michele smiled. "They were up almost before dawn. Joanna wasn't sure which room was yours and came into ours instead. We told her that we would get up with her, and she should let you sleep, and by the time we got to the hallway, Andrew was there too. So I helped Joanna dress, and then Ben took both of them downstairs for breakfast that Hop Sing had already prepared. That man continues to amaze me with things like that. The children are out on the porch now watching the hands work some stock in the corral."

"They are something. They keep Annie and I busy. We talked, and we decided we liked the idea about redesigning this house. We won't do anything to the front facade, but I want to add bedrooms, water closets, and an office to the back and take better advantage of the view that we only see from the dining room now. How does that sound?"

"Son, it's pretty much what I thought you might want to do. I have one request though. Michele was going to use one of the guest bedrooms as a sewing room, but she could use more light for that work. Could you add windows to the guest bedrooms in back for more natural light? And if it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you add a water closet to the washroom down here?"

"I'll start doing some preliminary drawings for your approval. Once we can agree on the design elements, I'll order materials. How does that sound?"

"It sounds wonderful. Candy wants to move back to the room off the bunkhouse. I would like to make that a nicer place before he does that. Michele has some decorating ideas, but perhaps you could look at the room and see what improvements you could make so that it's more comfortable? I do want Candy to stay here."

After Adam and Annie finished breakfast, they went to see their children and then to look over the room at the end of the bunkhouse. It didn't take Adam long to have a couple of suggestions. He wanted to put a door in the back of the room, and add a small porch in the back so Candy could relax in private if he wanted to do that or even entertain a guest without everyone watching his every move. Annie thought a lamp instead of a lantern would make it more homey, and she and Michele agreed on window coverings and matching bed linens to make it look more like a home than a room. They emptied one of the trunks that Adam had used to ship design plans home and put that at the foot of the bed. Some shelving and a dresser completed the furnishing because there already was a table with chairs in the room. Within a few days, the other simple changes had been made. Candy was touched that they would do all of that for him, and did admit it looked more like a home than it had before.

That project had kept Adam busy, and in the evenings the family gathered for stories as everyone wanted to know what the others had been doing. Ben enjoyed these days very much. Many decades before, this had been his dream: to have a large ranch and a loving family living on it. Now he had it all. Everyone seemed so happy that he just knew it had to end, but he wasn't sure what the first argument would be. He was very surprised when it was Annie and Joe who had the first angry exchange.

Very busy getting horses ready for a contract, Joe had spent little time with Adam. He thought to remedy that by asking Adam to help him break some horses. Adam tried to decline, but Joe knew him too well. A few barbs about being old and not being able to do man's work any more, and Adam said he would be at the breaking corrals in the morning. Then the children asked if he would read them a story because Annie had told them it was time for bed. He went up the stairs with Andrew and Joanna, and Annie whirled on Joe.

"If he gets hurt or killed, I will make your life miserable, Joe Cartwright. You will wish it was you instead of him."

"Aw, Annie, it's just a couple of mustangs. He's been breaking horses since he was in his teens. He knows the risks."

"He hasn't done it in over two years. He's been hurt before when he did it, and now he'll be rusty too. He's been riding but not the kind of riding that prepares him for this."

"Annie, it'll be fine. You don't have to mollycoddle him. He's a man, and he knows what he can and can't do."

"Really! After those things you said, he could hardly decline. Now I'm going up to kiss my children good night." Storming up the stairs, Annie left no one in doubt as to how she felt.

"You did goad him into it, Joe. Maybe it would be better if he came with me to the branding. He could kinda work his way into things gradual like?"

"Hoss, he's a man. He can make his own decision tomorrow." On that sour note, Joe and Martha bid everyone goodnight and left for their home.

It was quiet in the room for a bit. "I guess I knew it was too good to last. Well it was very enjoyable for a few days at least. Let's all get some sleep. Tomorrow could be even more interesting." Ben stood then to start turning down the lamps, and Hoss and Maggie gathered up their sleeping twins and headed home.

Adam heard a bit from Annie too. "Men! You just have to try to prove you're better than each other. Can't you just forget about it, and do what you're good at?"

"I'd like to, but I sense you're not in the mood for that."

"Cowboy, don't try to be cute about this. It's serious. You could get hurt or even killed."

"Annie, I've been busting broncs for twenty years."

"Actually, eighteen because you haven't done it for two years now. You're out of practice, and I know your father has talked about you getting hurt doing it. He said one time you took a nasty blow to the head, and he wasn't sure you would survive it. How many times do you think you can get hit on the head like that and wake up again? Can you tell me that?"

"Annie, it will be fine. I'm sure Joe isn't going to give me the worst ones to ride. He knows I'm out of practice too. He's my brother. He won't knowingly put me in danger."

"Famous last words? I don't like it."

"Annie, I promise you that I won't take any unnecessary risks. You can kick my butt if I do."

"If you do, there may not be any butt to kick." Tears threatened then, and Adam pulled her into his embrace. "Adam, I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you. Two years ago, I was sick with worry about losing you. Now that you're safe and we're home, I thought the worry would go away, but it hasn't."

The next morning breakfast was rather quiet as even the children sensed the tension. When Adam got up and went to put on his chaps, Andrew had all sorts of questions. "Annie, will you bring Andrew down to the breaking corrals later?" Annie didn't respond. "Please?" All Adam got was a very quiet affirmative before he grabbed his old hat and headed out.

Ben tried to placate her. "Annie, I'm sure it will be fine. Joe won't expect too much of him today. If you want, I could take Andrew down there for you."

"I would like that. Maybe I'll come with you, but I could use some moral support on this one. I'm so afraid for him."

Looking at Michele, Ben got a small nod from her. She would work on Annie if Ben took Andrew down there. With their silent communication complete, Ben asked Andrew if he would like to ride in the wagon to go see what his father and Uncle Joe were doing. Andrew was excited and quickly looked to his mother for permission. Annie nodded but Andrew could see she was troubled.

"Mama, are you mad at Papa? I heard you arguing last night."

Annie held out her arms and Andrew rushed into them. "Aw, sweetie, I'm sorry you heard us. We weren't arguing as much as disagreeing. Your Papa wants to do something today that could be dangerous, and I didn't want him to do it."

"Is it dangerous like 'nakes? Could Papa die?"

"No, no, I'm sure he won't. I didn't mean to frighten you either. Perhaps you should go with grandpa before I make things even worse."

After Ben and Andrew left the house to hitch up the wagon, Michele asked just one question. "If Adam is distracted because he's thinking about your worries, won't that make it more likely that he might get hurt?"

"Will you watch Joanna?"

Michele smiled and put out her arms to take the two-year-old. "I'll take her over to see Maggie and the girls. Miranda and Maureen will like to play with her. You can find us there when you get back."

With a quick thank you and a mention that she would be back to see Andi and Mo too, Annie hurried out of the house to ride with Ben and Andrew to the breaking corrals. When she got there, she saw Adam standing on the bottom rail of the corral fence with Joe as they looked over the horses. She asked Ben to stay with Andrew as she walked to the fence and stepped up to be beside Adam. He looked at her a bit apprehensively, but she pulled him to her for a kiss. "Do us proud, cowboy." Then she hopped down off the fence to sit in the wagon with Ben and Andrew to watch. Joe looked at Adam as he turned back to the horses.

"We are very lucky men, aren't we?"

Epilogue

The ranch house was expanded although riding up to it, one would not likely have noticed the changes. But in the back of the house a new wing extended back about thirty feet with two more bedrooms on the second floor. Between the bedrooms was a walkway across the room down below that was a large gathering area with two stories of windows that showcased the view of the lake, the pines, and the mountains. On one side of the first floor was a spacious office for Adam and on the opposite side next to the back of the massive chimney that would provide a lot of warmth in the winter was a sewing room with a floor to ceiling window that was the twin of the one in Adam's office. Extending out from the annex was a large deck area for picnics or sitting in the sun on warm days.

Ben and Michele took that trip to the Sandwich Islands and found that little house that Adam and Annie had used. They rented it for a month and lived on the beach walking in the surf and reading with the soft wave action in the background. They took a trip over to the big island and saw the lava flow from active volcanoes. By the time the month was up, they thought about staying longer but missed the grandchildren and were anxious to see the changes to the house. They boarded a ship and four months to the day that they had left, they returned to Nevada where the air had turned chilly and hinted at the snow that would soon be there. Arriving at the ranch house, they found it fairly quiet and wondered where everyone was. It didn't take long to find out. Their telegram had arrived with just enough time for the family to arrange a party to welcome them home. The whole family was there as well as Roy, Paul, and Candy with his love interest. Annie was in a new rocking chair with their youngest grandchild, Aurea. For a man who had raised three sons and lived with only men for nearly twenty years, all these females were making a dramatic difference in Ben's life. Adam walked up holding Aurea's brother who was older by twenty minutes. Michael John or MJ was much more fussy than his sister and required lots of walking and rocking. Hoss was there with Maggie who sat on a settee with their daughters Mo and Andi. The news was apparent when Joe and Martha turned to greet them. The tummy bump was pronounced and unmistakable. It was a baby boom on the Ponderosa. Ben sat in the new brown leather chair Adam had picked out just for him, and Michele sat on the arm of it. Ben sighed deeply. It was good to be Ben Cartwright.


End file.
